Charminar as a structure defines the image of Hyderabad for many people. Charminar was built in 1591 by Muḥammad Quli Quṭb Shah, the fifth king of the Quṭb Shahi dynasty, reportedly as the first building in Hyderabad, his new capital. Over the years, it has become a signature monument and an iconic symbol of the city’s heritage.
According to one legend, the Hyderabad region was reeling from a devastating plague at the time that Muḥammad Quli Quṭb Shah was shifting his capital from nearby Golconda to the new city. He commemorated the end of the plague by building a mosque, which became known as Charminar because of its four towering and distinctive minarets, one on each of the building’s four corners. It formed the centrepiece around which Hyderabad was planned.
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The structure is now regarded as one of the supreme architectural achievements of the Quṭb Shāhī period. The Charminar is a grand architectural composition in Indo-Saracenic style. The construction is entirely of granite and lime mortar with stucco ornamentation. The square structure measures 66 feet (20 metres) to a side.
Each side faces one of the cardinal directions and has a pointed arch that is 36 feet (11 metres) wide at the base and reaches 66 feet high at its apex. A multisided column rises on each corner of the structure and, atop a lotus-leaf base, continues upward until it culminates in a minaret with a dome-shaped roof 160 feet (49 metres) above the ground.
Each minaret is accessed via a spiral staircase on its interior wall and consists of four levels, each of which features a delicately collonaded covered walkway around the exterior wall. Above the arches of the main structure are two stories. The first was once used as a madrasah (Islamic college) in the Quṭb Shāhī era, and the second houses a small mosque.
In addition to the mosque, the Charminar has 45 other prayer areas. The Charminar’s roof and minarets afford panoramic views of Hyderabad, notably the historic Golconda Fort to the west and the bustling Laad Bazaar, adjacent to the Charminar, which is famed for its traditional lacquer bangles studded with coloured glass and stones.
The Charminar stands at the heart of Hyderabad’s main bazaar area (also known as Charminar), a labyrinth of lanes crowded with shops, stalls, markets and shoppers. You can climb up to the 1st floor for a view of the district. The 2nd floor is home to Hyderabad’s oldest mosque, and the upper columns are not open to the public. The structure is illuminated from 7 pm to 9 pm.
