The fifth ruler of the Qutub Shahi dynasty, Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, built the Charminar in 1591 after shifting his capital from Golkonda to Hyderabad. Charminar has become a local and national landmark as well as a global icon of Hyderabad.
The Charminar ("Four Minarets"), constructed in 1591, is a monument and mosque located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. Charminar has been a historical place with mosque on the top floor for over 400 years and also famous for its surrounding markets. It is one of the tourist attractions in Hyderabad. It is where Many local festivals are celebrated in Charminar area like Ramzaan.[3] The Charminar is situated on the east bank of Musi river.[4] To the west lies the Laad Bazaar, and to the southwest lies the richly ornamented granite Makkah Masjid.[5] It is listed as an archaeological and architectural treasure on the official "List of Monuments" prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India.[6] The English name is a translation and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar or meenar, translating to "Four Pillars"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the current caretaker of the structure, mentions in its records, "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 Cholera", a deadly disease which was wide spread at that time.[7] Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah had prayed for the end of the plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a Mosque at the very place where he prayed.[8] According to Jean de Thévenot, a French traveller of the 17th century whose narration was complemented with 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 far and wide in the Islamic world, thus Qutb Shah founded the city of Hyderabad to celebrate the event and commemorate it with the construction of this building.[9][10]:17–19Due to its architecture it is also called as arc de triomphe of the east.