Charminar (Telugu: , Hindi: , Urdu: ,) meaning "Mosque of

the Four Minarets" and "Four Towers" is the most famous mosque and monument in
the city of Hyderabad, capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah , the 5th ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built
Charminar in 1591 shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now
known as Hyderabad.[1]. 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. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb shah
prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all
castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water." Today one can see
the city as evidence of the prayer being answered. The Mosque became popularly known
as Charminar because of its four (Persian/Hindi char = four) minarets (Minar (Arabic
manara) = spire/tower).
This beautiful colossus in granite, lime, mortar and, some say, pulverised marble, was at
one time the heart of the city. Initially the wonderful 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. There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the palace at
Golkonda to Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutub Shahi rulers
in case of a siege, though the exact location of the tunnel is unknown.