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 1
Introduction
2
Charminar Information
3
Charminar: History
4
Charminar Architecture
Lesser Known Facts about Charminar 5

Attractions near Charminar 6

Things to Do in Charminar Area 7

CONTENTS
Table of
 INTRODUC
TION
The Charminar is to Hyderabad
what the Taj is to Agra or the
Eiffel Tower is to Paris. This
towering monument cum
mosque with four minarets and
open arches boasts of a history
of over 400 years and stands as
the finest example of the city’s
heritage and architectural
legacy. Located in the heart of
Hyderabad, it remains
surrounded by a lively market
place and is a top attraction for
travelers visiting the city. The
Charminar is certainly one of
those heritage structures you
must explore once you step out
of your hotels in Hyderabad for a
session of sightseeing.
 CHARMINAR
INFORMATION

Location Hyderabad, Telangana

Timings 9:00 am to 5:30 pm; every day

Entry Fee ₹ 5 for Indians; ₹ 100 for foreigners

Still and Video Camera Free

Type Mosque and monument

Year of Construction 1591

Commissioned by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah of Qutb Shahi dynasty

Indo-Islamic with influences from the Persian architectural

Architectural Style
style

Architect Mir Momin Astarawadi

Material Used Limestone, granite, pulverized marble, and mortar

Status Monument under the Archeological Survey of India

Cost of Construction 9 lakh rupees

 CHARMINAR HISTORY

THE CHARMINAR WAS ESTABLISHED MORE THAN FOUR CENTURIES

AGO BY THE FIFTH SULTAN OF THE QUTB SHAHI DYNASTY, NAMELY
SULTAN MUHAMMAD QULI QUTUB SHAH. HE COMMISSIONED THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THIS GRAND MOSQUE IN THE YEAR 1591 AFTER HE
SHIFTED HIS CAPITAL FROM GOLCONDA TO HYDERABAD, WHICH
WAS A NEWLY FORMED CITY.
THERE ARE SEVERAL THEORIES AS TO WHY QUTUB SHAH
CONSTRUCTED THIS TOWERING MOSQUE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF
HIS NEW CAPITAL. ACCORDING TO SOME HISTORIANS, THE SULTAN
WAS FORCED TO SHIFT HIS CAPITAL DUE TO THE EPIDEMIC OF
CHOLERA THAT WAS KILLING THOUSANDS OF HIS SUBJECTS AT
THAT TIME. HE PRAYED TO THE ALMIGHTY AND VOWED TO
CONSTRUCT A MOSQUE IF THE MISERY OF HIS PEOPLE CAME TO AN
END. THE CHARMINAR WAS BUILT TO HONOR THIS PLEDGE ONCE
CHOLERA WAS ERADICATED FROM THE CITY.
 CHARMINAR
ARCHITECTURE
DESIGNED BY AN IRANIAN ARCHITECT
SETTLED IN HYDERABAD NAMED MIR
MOMIN ASTARAWADI, THE GRAND
EDIFICE EXHIBITS THE INDO-ISLAMIC
STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE WITH
INFLUENCES DRAWN FROM THE
PERSIAN STYLE. THE STRUCTURE IS
MADE OF LIMESTONE, GRANITE,
PULVERIZED MARBLE, AND MORTAR
AND WEIGHS AROUND 14,000 TONNES.

THE CHARMINAR FEATURES A

PERFECTLY SQUARE-SHAPED
STRUCTURE THAT IS 20 METERS LONG
ON EACH SIDE. FOUR GRAND ARCHES
AND FOUR EXQUISITE MINARETS
PLACED AT THE FOUR CORNERS LEND
THE MONUMENT A DISTINCTIVE LOOK.
EACH OF THE MINARETS IS FOUR-
STORIED, 56 METERS TALL, HAS A
DOUBLE BALCONY, AND FEATURES A
DOME-SHAPED STRUCTURE ON ITS TOP.
THERE ARE 149 STEPS LEADING TO THE
UPPER FLOOR OF THE MONUMENT FROM
WHERE YOU CAN GET A BIRD’S-EYE
VIEW OF THE CITY AND THE
SURROUNDING MARKETPLACE.
 LESSER KNOWN FACTS
ABOUT CHARMINAR

1. THE CHARMINAR IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE ‘ARC DE TRIOMPHE OF

THE EAST’ DUE TO ITS ARCHITECTURE THAT IS AS IMPRESSIVE
AS THE RENOWNED ARC DE TRIOMPHE IN PARIS.
2. ACCORDING TO POPULAR BELIEFS, THE FOUR MINARETS OF THE
CHARMINAR WERE BUILT TO REPRESENT THE FOUR KHALIFAS OR
PROPHETS OF ISLAM.

3. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THERE EXISTS AN UNDERGROUND TUNNEL

THAT CONNECTS THE CHARMINAR TO THE GOLCONDA FORT
WHICH WAS MEANT TO BE AN ESCAPE ROUTE FOR THE ROYAL
FAMILY IF THE CITY CAME UNDER A SIEGE. THE LOCATION OF
THE TUNNEL, HOWEVER, IS NOT KNOWN.
4. AS A TRIBUTE TO THIS SPECTACULAR MONUMENT, LINDT
CHOCOLATIER ADELBERT BOUCHER CREATED ITS REPLICA
USING CHOCOLATE IN 2010, WHICH WEIGHED ABOUT FIFTY
KILOGRAMS.
5. IN 1687, WHEN THE MUGHAL EMPEROR AURANGZEB INVADED
THE CITY, HE ORDERED THE DESTRUCTION OF MOST OF THE
BUILDINGS BUT SPARED THE CHARMINAR BECAUSE OF THE
MOSQUE LOCATED ON ITS TOP FLOOR.
6. THERE IS A TRAIN THAT IS NAMED AFTER THE CHARMINAR –
THE CHARMINAR EXPRESS – THAT OPERATES BETWEEN
CHENNAI AND HYDERABAD.
7. THE STRUCTURE IS FEATURED ON THE EMBLEM OF TELANGANA.
ATTRACTIONS NEAR
CHARMINAR
GULZA HOUZ (230 M)
LAAD BAZAR (450 M)
CHAR KAMAN (600 M)
NIZAM MUSEUM (1 KM)
MECCA MASJID (1 KM)
CHOWMAHALLA PALACE (1.4 KM)
SALAR JUNG MUSEUM (2 KM)
ISKCON TEMPLE (2.4 KM)
KOTI RESIDENCY (4.3 KM)
PAIGAH TOMBS (4.4 KM)
NEHRU ZOOLOGICAL PARK (5.9
KM)
TOLI MASJID (6.1 KM)
THINGS TO DO IN CHARMINAR AREA

THE AREA THAT SURROUNDS THE MINARETS, WHICH IS CALLED THE

CHARMINAR AREA, IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND SOME OF THE FINEST STREET
GRUBS AND SHOPPING OPTIONS IN HYDERABAD. THE TOP EATERIES AND
SHOPPING PLACES IN THE CHARMINAR AREA INCLUDE:

LAAD BAZAR FOR BANGLES, JEWELRY, DUPATTAS

PATHAR GATTI FOR PEARLS
PERFUME MARKET FOR LOCAL PERFUMES
AKBAR FAST FOOD CORNER FOR CHICKEN 65, WARQI PARATHA, RUMALI
ROTI
PISTA HOUSE FOR MUTTON BIRIYANI, HALEEM, KHEER, HYDERABADI
BIRIYANI
NIMRAH CAFÉ AND BAKERY FOR IRANI CHAI, OSMANIA BISCUITS, SULEMANI
SHADAB HOTEL FOR HALEEM, KEBABS, FALOODA, NIHARI, PAYA, QUBANI
KA MEETHA
SHAH GHOUSE FOR MUTTON HALEEM, BOTI KEBABS, KHICHDI KHEEMA,
PHIRNI, MUTTON BIRIYANI, HYDERABADI CHICKEN BIRIYANI