King Kothi – A royal palace with a clever name

King Kothi, literally “King’s Palace,” is a historic palace in Hyderabad with an interesting story. The palace was originally owned by Mr. Kamal Khan, a wealthy aristocrat, who had his initials KK engraved on the building. In fact, the letters ‘KK’ were imprinted on all the crockery, furniture, doors and grills of the palace. This bold marking reflected his status, but it became a challenge when the Sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, expressed interest in acquiring the palace.

When Mahbub Ali Khan expressed his reservations about the initials “KK” engraved throughout the property, a quick-thinking courtier proposed a clever solution. He suggested that since the word “Kothi” in Urdu refers to a large house, and since the palace would ultimately belong to the King, it could be renamed “King Kothi” to align with the initials. The Nizam found the idea appealing and, and went ahead with his plan.

Thus, the name King Kothi (or “King’s Palace”) was born, aligning it with the royal stature of the Nizam. The Palace served as the official residence of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. He moved in here as a young boy and even breathed his last here. As per his wish, he was buried in the Judi Mosque, opposite the palace, next to his mother’s grave.