The Charminar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh India

The Charminar was built in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah, the fifth sultan of the Qutub Shahi dynasty of India. There are varying legends as to why he built the magnificent structure. One account says that the sultan built it in honor of his wife, Bhagyamathi (or Bhagmathi), together with the construction of Hyderabad itself. Another, more popular, legend is that the sultan built it to honor a promise to Allah when he prayed for an end to a plague that ravaged the new city. The building got its name from its four minarets, which were possibly meant to honor the first four caliphs of Islam. Another legend also holds that a secret tunnel runs underneath the monument that connects the palace at Golconda to it should the royal family need to escape but so far, no such tunnels have been found.

The Charminar is in a square shape, with the four minarets in each of the corners. The sides measure 20 meters each, and the minarets stand at a height of 48.7 meters from the ground. Every side of the Charminar opens into a plaza and through giant arches that overlook four major thoroughfares. The arches also dwarf the other features of the building except the minarets, and these could be the reason why the Charminar was given its other nickname. The minarets, on the other hand, have four stories each, marked by a carved ring. There are 149 winding steps inside each, which the visitor can use to climb up in order to glimpse a breathtaking view of the city. At the western end of the Charminar’s roof is a mosque–the oldest in Hyderabad. Atop the building are 45 prayer spaces where the devout can worship. The first floor has beautiful balconies where one can also get a fantastic view of the city.

The Charminar in Hyderabad was constructed in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutab Shah. He built the Charminar to mark the end of plague in the Hyderabad city. Since the construction of the Charminar, the Hyderabad city has almost become synonymous with the monument. The Charminar is a massive and impressive structure with four minarets. In the evening, with illumination, the great Charminar looks even greater. With the passage of time the Charminar occupied so much importance that it became the heart of all bustling activities. It is in the bustling bazaars around the Charminar that you find the traditional nahari stalls and kulchas of Hyderabad. Hyderabad is one of those few cities, which have a fine blend of modernity and tradition.

The Charminar has four imposing arches, which face the four main directions. A row of small vaulted niches ornament each of the four arches. The Char Minar is a two-storied building with the first floor being covered. The balconies on this floor provide a great view of the surrounding areas. A small mosque adorns the top floor of the Charminar. This mosque is situated on the western side of the Charminar facing Mecca, the holy city of the Muslims. This mosque is said to be the oldest surviving mosque in Hyderabad city. Charminar, the hub of Hyderabad city, has four wide roads going in each direction. The Charminar is square in shape, each side measuring 100 feet, with a central pointed high arch at the center.

The four minarets of the Charminar dominate the landscape of the region. The minarets, their domed finials rising from their lotus-leaves cushion, rise to 180 feet from the ground. The whole structure contains various small and ornamental arches arranged in vertical and horizontal fashion. The cornice on the first floor upholds a series of six arches and capitals on each portico, rising to the double-story gallery of the minarets. The projected canopy, decorative brackets and decoration in stucco plaster add graceful elegance to the Charminar. On the upper courtyard, a screen of arches topped by a row of square jalis or water screens provides a delicate charm to the muscular look of the Charminar.

Islamic architecture is characterized mostly by the deployment of arches, minarets, and domes in order to make a unified whole, and the Charminar answers to this principle impressively. In spite of this, though, it still has several features that answer to Hindu architecture, and as a whole, it embodies elements of the temple architecture of South India, a fitting testament to the Hindu and Islam-influenced culture of Hydebaran and the dynasty that built it.

Hyderabad's most charming landmark, Charminar, is one of the finest examples of the Qutab Shahi architecture located at the heart of the old city. Built by Quli Qutab Shah, in 1591, this impressive monument gives off a charm that is over 400 years old, and is often acknowledged as the ‘Arc de triomphe of the East’.

The Charminar gets its name from the four minarets (towers) standing in the four corners of the structure. These graceful and intricate minarets, rise to 48.7 metres from the ground, overlooking the landscape of the area. The Charminar is square structured and its minarets have four levels. All these storeys look like rings, which have been ornately shaped around the minaret. The gallery on its first floor offer a great view of the surrounding areas. There is a mosque at the topmost storey of the Charminar, which faces Mecca, the holy pilgrimage of the Muslims. Each side of the Charminar opens into a court through imposing arches which face all four directions, respectively. The arches are 11 metres broad and go up to 20 metres high from the base.

The Charminar was built using granite and lime mortar and although it is said to entirely represent Islamic style of architecture, a blend of Hindu influences cannot be denied either. The Islamic architecture is depicted in the matted arches and domes of the monument and a great deal of the ornamentation is in Hindu style. Apart from this, the Charminar has some captivating floral designs, and water screens which add to its beauty and elegance. 

The Charminar, built in 1591 CE, is a monument and mosque located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. The Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river. To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah Masjid. The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches.

Early in the 1580's the 5th ruler of Golconda Sultanate, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah planned to shift his capital 5 miles (8.0 km) away from Golkonda and commissioned a new capital city to be constructed by Raja Ram Jagirdar,on the south-west banks of the Musi River. Shortly after Qutb Shah had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad, the Charminar is the first structure to be constructed. Though the Charminar lacks a foundation inscription and date of its construction is specifically unknown, multiple myths had been recorded by the historical travellers, academic scholars and historians. Some of the popular myths that are in close accord with the monument's architectural actual appearance.