Charminar
Building information
Location	Hyderabad
Country	India
Completion date	1591
Style	Cazia style
Size	48.7 m (159.77 ft) each minaret

Charminar (Devanagari: चार मीनार, Nastaliq: چار مینار) (translation: Four Towers), or a mosque of the four minarets, is a monument located in the City of Hyderabad, the capital city of the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. Image File history File links Charminar_Hyderabad. ... Hyderabad may refer to: Hyderabad, the independent state Hyderabad State, the pre-1956 state India Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad district (India) Begumpet Airport, also known as Hyderabad Airport Hyderabad Central, a huge shopping mall in Hyderabad Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, a... Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ... Year 1591 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Rigveda manuscript in Devanagari (early 19th century) DevanāgarÄ« (देवनागरी — in English pronounced ) (ISCII – IS13194:1991) [1] is an abugida alphabet used to write several Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Bihari, Bhili, Konkani, Bhojpuri and Nepali from Nepal. ... Nastaliq or Nastaleegh (نستعلیق) is a specific style for writing in the Arabic alphabet. ... Look up translate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Monument (disambiguation). ... Hyderabad or Haydarābād (Telugu: హైదరాబాదు Urdu: حیدر آباد ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. ... “Andhra” redirects here. ...

Charminar is one of the most important landmarks of Hyderabad.

History

Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah,built the Charminar

The monument was built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 to commemorate the eradication of plague, shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golconda to what now is known as Hyderabad^[1]. Legends has it that the emperor Quli Qutb Shah prayed for the end of plague and took the vow to build a masjid on that very place. He ordered the construction of the masjid which became popular as Charminar because of its four characteristic minarets (possibly depicting the first four khalifs of Islam). The top floor of the four-storeyed structure has a masjid which has 45 covered prayer spaces and some open space to accommodate more people in Friday prayers. 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.^[2] Image File history File links Muhammad_Quli_Qutb_Shah_portrait. ... Image File history File links Muhammad_Quli_Qutb_Shah_portrait. ... Portrait of Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (1580-1612 A.D.) was the fifth sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda in south India. ... Portrait of Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (1580-1612 A.D.) was the fifth sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda in south India. ... Golconda is a ruined city and fortress 11 km west of the city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh state, India. ... Hyderabad or Haydarābād (Telugu: హైదరాబాదు Urdu: حیدر آباد ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. ... A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Hahn (also Hélène) (July 31, 1831 (O.S.) (August 12, 1831 (N.S.)) - May 8, 1891 London, England), better known as Helena Blavatsky or Madame Blavatsky was the founder of Theosophy. ...

True to the legend, the city blossomed into a synthesis of two cultures. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli prayed: Oh God, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode. Like fishes in the water.

Construction

The Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument, with each side measuring 20 m, and each of the edges having a pointed high minaret. It derives its name from these four gracefully carved minarets which soar to a height of 48.7 m above the ground, commanding the landscape for miles around. Charminar literally means 'Four Spires' (Char (Hindi) = four, Minar (Arabic manara) = spire/tower). For other uses, see Square. ... metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation) The metre is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation) The metre is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units. ... Look up Literal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Literal can mean: Literal and figurative language, taken in a non-figurative sense Literal translation, the close adherence to the forms of a source language text Terminal symbol in regular expressions and in descriptions of formal grammars any notation for representing a...

Each minaret has four storeys, each looking like a delicately carved ring around the minaret. Every side opens into a plaza through giant arches, which overlook four major thoroughfares and 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. Once upon a time each of these arches led to four royal roads. Each of the four arches has a clock which were put up in 1889. The monument overlooks another beautiful and grand mosque called Makkah Masjid. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Plaza is a Spanish word related to field which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. ... For other uses, see Arch (disambiguation). ... pinnacle Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk, Ostend, Belgium A pinnacle (from Latin pinnaculum, a little feather, pinna) is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. ... Plinth of the Sign of the Kiwi, Dyers Pass, Port Hills, Christchurch (NZ) c 1917 - Collection: Christchurch City Libraries Hoysala temple on plinth Look up Plinth in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Mecca Masjid - Late 19th Century Mecca Masjid - Now Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad, India is one of the oldest and the biggest masjids in India. ...

Charminar at Night

There are two galleries within the Charminar, one over another, and above those a terrace that serves as a roof, bordered with a stone balcony. It is vaulted underneath and appears like a dome. There is a large table raised seven or eight feet from the ground with steps to go up to it. Nothing in the town seems so lovely as the outside of that building. 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, a unique conglomeration of a grand oriental bazaar. The whole market around the Charminar is crowded with shops which sell glass bangles in rainbow colours. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... In gardening, a terrace is an element where a raised flat paved or gravelled section overlooks a prospect. ... The Lierne vault of the Liebfrauenkirche, Mühlacker 1482. ... For other uses, see Dome (disambiguation). ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Look up Market in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a market that might satisfy a want or need. ... Conglomerate is the term used to describe a large company which consists of divisions of often seemingly unrelated businesses. ... The term the Orient - literally meaning sunrise, east - is traditionally used to refer to Near, Middle, and Far Eastern countries. ... The Grand Timcheh of Qoms Bazaar. ... Bangles in Laad Bazaar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. ... For other uses, see Rainbow (disambiguation). ...

Unlike Taj Mahal, the fluted minarets of Charminar are built into the main structure. Inside the four-storied minarets 149 winding steps guide the visitor to the upper floor, the highest point one can reach, and providing a panoramic view of the city. There are 45 prayer spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate more for Friday prayers. Taj Mahal Location of the Taj Mahal within India The Taj Mahal (Devanagari: ताज महल, Nastaliq: تاج محل) is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. ... A coil is a series of loops. ... This article is about the artistic term Panorama. ... For other uses, see Prayer (disambiguation). ...

Built with granite and lime mortar, Charminar is a fine example of the Cazia style of architecture^[3]. Locally available granite, sand and lime were used in the construction of Qutb Shahi monuments including Charminar. Lime used for the plaster seems to have been specifically ground and treated to give durable stucco. Generally shell, lime, jaggery, white of egg etc are known to enhance the binding property of lime. The SiO2 /CaO ratio in Charminar’s mortar and plaster (1.61-2.25) indicates that the engineers at that time were probably aware of the necessity of having a higher Sio2 content but were not sure of the optimum value (presently the common practice is to have 3.0) at which the maximum strength of lime cement could be obtained. For other uses, see granite (disambiguation). ... Lime mortar is an old type of mortar used to stick bricks and stones together in building. ... This article is about building architecture. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Stucco is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water which is applied wet, and hardens when it dries. ... A block of Indian jaggery (gur) Cleaning of pans prior to manufacture of jaggery Preparation of jaggery Jaggery is the traditional unrefined sugar used in India. ... R-phrases R42 R43 R49 S-phrases S22 S36 S37 S45 S53 Flash point non-flammable Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... The letters CAO are used to denote several things: Central Applications Office - Irish organisation that oversees tertiary education applications Chief Administrative Officer of a company Chief Accounting Officer of a company Collectieve Arbeids Overeenkomst (Collective Work Agreement), Dutch term for a collective employment contract framework Computer Aided Optimization Computer Assisted...

The Charminar looks spectacular particularly in the nights when it is illuminated. This graceful monument is very beautiful on the inside, and is particularly known for its carvings and moldings. The painstaking details result in a graceful, lace-like look.

It is said that during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, lightning destroyed the South Western minaret which ‘fell to pieces’, but ‘it was forthwith repaired at a cost of Rs 60000. Charminar was replastered in 1824 at a cost of Rs 100000.

The area surrounding Charminar is also known by same name.

Notes

1. ^ A.P. Government: Charminar
2. ^ FROM THE CAVES AND JUNGLES OF HINDOSTAN,H.P.Blavatsky. Urbana, Illinois (USA): Project Gutenberg.Etext #6687. 2004. p 265
3. ^ Charminar-Cazia Style of Architecture

Further reading

See also

• Falaknuma Palace
• Golconda fort
• Chowmahalla Palace
• Paigah Tombs
• History of Hyderabad
• Hyderabad state

Falaknama Palace (sometimes called Mirror of the Sky) is one of the finest palaces in Hyderabad. ... Golconda fort overlooking Hyderabad Golkonda, also Golconda, a ruined city of south-central India and west of Hyderabad, capital of ancient Hyderabad state (c. ... Chowmahalla Palace Chowmahalla Palace was once the centre of Hyderabad. ... The senior Hyderabad State aristocracy - known as the Paigah nobles - tended to be richer than the average Indian Maharajah, and each maintained their own court, their own extraordinary palaces, and their own three or four thousand strong private army. ... The city of Hyderabad is an historic city noted for its many temples, Churches, Mosques, and bazaars. ... The Asafia flag of Hyderabad This article is about Hyderabad State. ...

External links

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• Hyderabad on Wikitravel
• [http:http://www.glorioushyderabad.com/latest/charminar.html A Complete Information of Hyderabad]

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