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Whenever there is
mention of Hyderabad, the Charminar invariably comes
to the mind. Infact, the Charminar has virtually
become a synonym for Hyderabad. Just as New York is
incomplete without The Statue of Liberty or Paris
without the Eiffel tower, similarly Hyderabad
remains incomplete without Charminar. The best view
of the Charminar is available when it is illuminated
after sunset. The Charminar is a fine piece of Qutab
Shahi architecture.
Accommodation and connectivity
Hyderabad is very well connected with rest of Andhra
Pradesh and India through a good network of roadways
and railways. The Hyderabad airport also figures
prominently in the air map of India.
The accommodation facilities in Hyderabad are some
of the best in India. The Charminar situated within
the city limits could easily be reached through
local modes of communication.
The Charminar
History
The Charminar was built by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah
in 1591. The arch was built to commemorate the end
of a deadly plaque in Hyderabad.
Architecture
In the construction of the Charminar, granite, lime,
mortar and pulverised marble has been used. It is
one of the finest examples of Qutab Shahi
architecture. The Charminar may be described as a
square structure with four towers on the four
corners of it. The minarets rise vertically upto 24
metres from the roof of the Charminar. There are
four storeys around each minaret resembling
beautiful rings. If the minarets are measured from
the ground, the length comes to about 48.7 metres. A
few historians opine that the minarets may also
symbolise the first four khalifs of Islam, although
this cannot be claimed with certainty. On the
western end of Charminar's roof is a very beautiful
mosque. There are as many as 45 prayer spaces where
one can offer prayer in the quiet environs away from
the din and bustle of the city. Although the
Charminar is said to exclusively represent Islamic
architectural tradition, a few Hindu influences on
its architecture cannot be denied either. It is
worth mentionable that inside the minarets are
spiral stairways consisting of 149 steps that lead
to the very top of them. From the very top, a
panoramic view of the beautiful city could be had.
To facilitate this, even arcaded balconies have been
built at various levels. There also are small
windows one above the other on the arches. They are
total 32 in each arch.
The Charminar Neighbourhood
The Charminar together with its neighbourhood could
be described as a mosaic of cultural heritage. There
are many colourful bazaars selling traditional
Muslim items and delicacies of the Mughlai variety.
The Mecca Masjid, Jama Masjid and Miya Mishk Masjid
are other fantastic pieces of Islamic architecture
near to the Charminar. There also are a few palaces
built by the Nizams near the Charminar. The
beautiful Char Kamaan, now called Gulzar Hauz is
clearly visible from the Charminar. It was built
three years after Charminar was built. The Choodi
bazaar (Bangles Bazaar), popular for selling bridal
wear further adds colour to the surroundings of
Charminar. As for the tourist, Charminar preserves
unlimited architectural wealth that is visible in
every pore of its exquisitely built surface.
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