Sultan muhammad quli qutub shah ,the 5th Qutub Shahi ruler built Charminar in 1591 shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what now is known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city.
Charminar has the signature style of Islamic architecture. This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance but as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity.
Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument. Each side measures 20 m, and each of the corners has a tall, pointed minaret. These four gracefully carved minarets soar to a height of 48.7 m above the ground, commanding the landscape for miles around.
Charminar looks equally spectacular at night when it is illuminated. Apart from being the core of the city’s cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.
The actual masjid occupies the top floor of the four-storey structure. Madame Blavatsky reports that each of the floors was meant for a separate branch of learning - before the structure was transformed by the Imperial British administration into a warehouse for opium and liqueurs.
Each side of the structure opens into a plaza through giant arches that overlook four major thoroughfares, which once were royal roads. The arches dwarf other features of the building except the minarets. Each arch is 11 m wide and rises 20 m to the pinnacle from the plinth, which is a large table raised seven or eight feet from the ground with steps that go up to it. Today, the four arches each have a clock, which was installed in 1889. This monument is equally graceful on the inside having intricate designs. The painstaking details result in a graceful and quite elegant look.
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.
It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by lightning, but "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs 60,000.[citation needed] In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 100,000.
The area surrounding Charminar is also known by same name. A thriving market still lies around the Charminar, attracting people and merchandise of every description.
In its heyday, the Charminar market had some 14,000 shops; today the famous markets known as Laad Baazar and Pather Gatti, near the Charminar, are a favourite of both tourists and locals alike for jewellery, especially known for exquisite bangles and pearls respectively.
