Charminar - Four Towers
Charminar (English: Four Towers) built in 1591 AD, with four ornate minarets supported by four grand arches,it had become global icon of Hyderabad and listed among the most recognized structures of India. The Charminar, is located on the east bank of Musi river, in the North East lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite made richly ornamented Mecca Masjid. Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the 5th ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 AD, shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. The Mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of its four (Persian/Hindi char = four) minarets (Minar (Arabic manara) = spire/tower).
The structure is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble. Initially the monument with its four arches was so proportionately planned that when the fort was opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these Charminar arches were facing the most active royal ancestral streets. The Charminar is a square edifice each side with 20 meters, with four grand arches each facing a cardinal point that open into four streets. At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped minaret, 56 meters high with a double balcony. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty petal like designs at the base. The monument overlooks another beautiful and grand mosque called Makkah Masjid.[16] The area surrounding Charminar is also known by same name. A thriving market still lies around the Charminar, attracting people and merchandise of every description. In its heyday, the Charminar market had some 14,000 shops, today the famous markets known as Laad Baazar and Pather Gatti, near the Charminar, are a favour,the of both tourists and locals alike for jewellery, especially known for exquisite bangles and pearls respectively
Charminar Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh - India