CHARMINAR

KRISHNAUNNI K.U
NO:14
S3

CHARMINAR
Charminar built in 1591 AD, 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

QUTUB SHAHI DYNASTY

The Qutb Shahi dynasty was a

Turkic dynasty with strong Persian
influences its members were
called the Qutub Shahis. They were
the ruling family of the kingdom of
Golconda in southern India.
The dynasty's founder, Sultan
Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk, migrated to
Delhi with some of his relatives
and friends in the beginning of the
16th century. Later he migrated
south, to Deccan and served
Bahmani sultan, Mohammad Shah.
The Qutub Shahi rulers were great
builders and patrons of learning.

 There are several mosque,most of

them In 17th century by qutub shahi
dynasty Jami masjid, mecca masjid ,
murshidabad mosque and a small
but very finished toli masjid and
charminar..
In position and appearance
charminar seemed to have served
the same purpose as the tin darwza
or tripple gate way built at a much

Mecca Masjid is the biggest mosque in Hyderabad

and lies 100 yards south-west of Charminar.

CHARMINAR AND MECCAMASJID

 Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the 5th

ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built
Charminar 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,

 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.

STRUCTURE
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.
There are 149 winding
steps to reach the upper
floor. The space in the
upper floor between the
minarets was meant for
Friday prayers.

FEATURES OF MINARAT
There are four minarets in the four corners which
soar upwards about 22 metres from the roof of
the square structure.
Each minaret stand on a lotus-leaf base that is a
recurrent motif in Qutub Shahi buildings and has
four floors, each looking like a skillfully carved
ring around the minaret.
In between the floors of each minaret, there are
spiral staircases of 149 steps which ascend to
triple tiers of balconies from where one can have
beautiful views of the old city.
From the ground to the apex, the minarets cover
a length of 56 meters and on top they taper off to
a bulbous dome crowned by a brass spire. The

 Each arch is 11 metres wide and rises 20 metres to

the pinnacle from the plinth.
The clocks above each of the four archways were
added in 1889.
These arches support two floors of rooms and a gallery
of archways. The structure stands in a junction and
the arches overlook four major thoroughfares.

The upper levels of the Charminar were

used as a madrasa and mosque, from
where royal proclamations were read out
to the assembled public.
The beautiful mosque is situated on the
western section of the top floor facing the
holy city of Mecca.
The rear wall of the mosque is indicated
by blank niches framed by petalled
ornament.

 There

are 45 open air prayer spaces without

roof, to accommodate more people in Friday
prayers.
To the east of this space is a spacious
verandah with large open arches in the
center, flanked by smaller ones on both
sides .
There is a water tank in the middle.
The first floor has beautiful balconies from
where one has a fantastic view of the
historic city.

FEATURES
A vault that appears from
inside like a dome, supports
two galleries within the
Charminar, one over
another, and above those a
terrace that serves as a
roof, bordered with a stone
balcony.
four grand arches facing
the four directions with its
high slender minarets and
spiral staircases, the
structure reflects the glory
of the Qutub Shahi dynasty

 In 2007,
Hyderabadi
Muslims living in
Pakistan
constructed a
small-scaled quasi
replica of the
Charminar at the
main crossing of
the Bahadurabad
neighborhood in
Karachi.

 There were buiidings

produced in the deccan after
erection of charminar , but
none attained superior
appearance of this , the
leading example of the style

 reference:
history of world
architecture ,sir
banister fletcher.
wikipedia

THANK
YOU

CHARMINAR

PREPARED BY
SHAFNA.M
NO:14
S3 BARCH