Charminar

Charminar was built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty and founder of Hyderabad city, in the Hijri year 1000 (1591-92 CE). It stands at the centre of the old city, on the eastern bank of the Musi river, and is widely believed to have been raised to commemorate the eradication of a plague epidemic, though other theories about its purpose also exist.

The structure is square in plan, measuring roughly 31.95 metres on each side, with grand arches spanning about 11 metres. Four minarets, each of three storeys, rise to a height of around 56 metres. A mosque occupies the western portion of the second floor, considered one of the most beautiful of its period, with forty-five prayer spaces (mushallas) opening onto a courtyard. Charminar is protected and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, Hyderabad Circle.