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Charminar
चारमीनार
Four minarets and arches — the beating heart of Hyderabad
Era
1591
Built by
Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah
Location
Hyderabad, Telangana
Type
Monuments & Forts
“The Arc de Triomphe of the East — the most graceful monument of its kind.”
— Visitors' description of Charminar
The Story
The Charminar was built in 1591 by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah to mark the end of a plague in his new city of Hyderabad — and to celebrate the founding of the city itself. Since then, it has watched four centuries of Deccan history flow through its arches.
The monument is a perfect square: four great arches, one on each side, opening onto the crossroads beneath, and four slender minarets rising 48.7 metres, each with a double balcony. On the top floor, a small mosque — one of the oldest surviving in Hyderabad — is still used for Friday prayers.
Around its base swirls the famous Laad Bazaar, whose glittering bangles and pearls fill the lanes with colour, and just beyond stands the great Mecca Masjid. At night, the Charminar is flooded with light, turning the granite-grey monument to gold — Hyderabad's most loved sight.
Core Ideas
Four Arches, Four Directions
A perfect square of arches opening onto the crossroads beneath.
48 Metre Minarets
Slender towers with double balconies that crown the skyline.
A Mosque on Top
One of the city's oldest mosques still holds prayers on the top floor.
Laad Bazaar
The glittering bangle and pearl market that flows around its base.
Born With the City
Built in 1591 to mark the founding of Hyderabad and the end of a plague.
Why it matters today
The Charminar is the symbol of Hyderabad — the face on every postcard, the heart of the old city, and the 'Arc de Triomphe of the East' that has held its ground for 430 years.