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The Charminar, built in 1591 CE, is a monument and mosque located in
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The landmark has become a global icon
of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. The
Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river. To the northeast lies the
Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented
Makkah Masjid.
The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words
Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are
ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches.
Some of the popular myths that are recorded in accord with the
monument's architectural appearance are as follows. The Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI), the current undertaker of the structure, mentions
in its records that: "There are various theories regarding the purpose
for which Charminar was constructed. However, it is widely accepted that
Charminar was built at the center of the city, to commemorate the
eradication of plague", as Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah had prayed for the
end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a Mosque
at the very place where he prayed. |
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According to Jean de Thévenot (French traveller of the 17th century)
whose narration was complemented through the available Persian texts,
the Charminar was constructed in the year 1591 CE, to commemorate the
beginning of the second Islamic millennium year (1000 AH), the event was
celebrated in the far and width of the Islamic world, thus Qutb Shah
founded the Hyderabad city in the year 1591 to celebrated the event of
millennium year (1000 AH) with the construction of Charminar.
"Masud Hussain Khan" an scholar of history mentions in one of his Urdu
book; the construction of Charminar was completed in the year 1592, and
it is the Hyderabad city which was actually founded in the year
1591.[9]:4 According to the book "Days of the Beloved"; Qutb shah
constructed the charminar in the year 1589, on the very spot where he
first glimpsed his future queen Bhagmati, and after her conversion to
Islam, Qutb Shah renamed the city as "Hyderabad". Though the story was
denied by the historians and scholars, but it became a popular folklore
among the locals.
Qutb Shah (was also among the early poets of Dakhani Urdu), while laying
the foundation of Charminar performed the prayers in Dakhini couplets.
During the Mughal governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule,
the southwestern minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by
lightning and "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of 60,000. In 1824, the
monument was replastered at a cost of 100,000.
Design and Construction
Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah laid the Charminar, the structure was intended
to serve as a Mosque and Madraasa. Mir Momin Astarabadi, the prime
minister of Qutb Shah played a leading role to prepare the layout plan
for the Charminar along with the new capital city (Hyderabad), the
additional eminent architects from Persia were also invited to develop
the city plan. the structure is of Indo-Islamic architecture style,
incorporating Persian architectural elements. The Charminar was
constructed on the intersection of the historical trade route that
connects the markets of the Golconda with the port city of Masulipatnam.
The Hyderabad city was designed keeping Charminar as a center piece, The
city was spread around the Charminar in four different quadrants and
chambers, seggregated according to the established settlements, towards
the north of Charminar is the Char Kaman (four gateways) constructed in
the cardinal directions.
Structure
The Charminar is a square structure with each side 20 meters
(approximately 66 feet) long, with four grand arches each facing a
fundamental point that open into four streets. At each corner stands an
exquisitely shaped minaret, 56 meters (approximately 184 feet) high with
a double balcony. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty
petal like designs at the base.
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Unlike the Taj Mahal,
Charminar's four fluted minarets are built into the main structure.
There are 149 winding steps to reach the upper floor. The structure
also known as profuseness of stucco decorations and arrangement of
balustrades and balconies.
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. There is
also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the
Golkonda fort
to Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutb
Shahi rulers in case of a siege, though the location of the tunnel
is unknown. |
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A
mosque is located at the western end of the open roof and the remaining
part of the roof served as a court during the Qutb Shahi times. The
actual mosque occupies the top floor of the four-storey structure. 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. The main gallery has 45
covered prayer spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate
more people for Friday prayers.
The clock on the four cardinal directions was added in 1889 and there is
a Vazu (water cistern) in the middle with a small fountain for Ablution
before offering prayer in the Charminar Mosque.
Surroundings
The area surrounding Charminar is also known by same name. The monument
overlooks another and grand mosque called the Makkah Masjid. Muhammad
Quli Qutb Shah, the 5th ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, commissioned
bricks to be made from the soil brought from Mecca, the holiest site of
Islam, and used them in the construction of the central arch of the
mosque, thus giving the mosque its name. It formed the centerpiece
around which the city was planned by Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah.
A thriving market exists around the Charminar: Laad Baazar is known for
jewellery, especially exquisite bangles, and the Pather Gatti is famous
for pearls. In its heyday, the Charminar market had some 14,000 shops.
Getting There
The nearest airport
to this attraction is
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (IATA: HYD, ICAO: VOHS), also
known as Hyderabad International Airport, or simply RGIA.
It is an
international airport serving the metropolis of Hyderabad located at Shamshabad,
about 22 km (14 mi) south of Hyderabad.
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