Andhra
Pradesh Monuments
Charminar, Hyderabad
The
Charminar is as much the signature of Hyderabad as the Taj Mahal is of Agra
or the Eiffel Tower is of Paris.
It is a magnificent square edifice of granite, built upon four grand arches
facing North, South, East and West. These arches support two floors of rooms
and gallery of archways. At each corner of the square structure is a minaret
rising to a height of 24 meters, making the building nearly 54 meters tall.
It is these four (char) minarets (minar) that give the building, its name Charminar.
Each minar stands on a lotus-leaf base, a special recurrent motif in Qutub Shahi
buildings.
The first floor was used as a madarasa (college) during the Qutub Shahi period.
The second floor has a mosque on the western side, the dome of which is visible
from the road, if one stands some distance away. A spectacular view of the city
may be had from the roof of the Charminar, although, due to severe overcrowding
of the minarets, only visitors with special permission from the Archaeological
Survey of India, Hyderabad Circle are allowed to go to the top of the minarets.
The clocks above each of the four archways were added in 1889.
Walking around the Charminar area, one is constantly surprised by vestiges of
the past intermingling with the present. Towards the Southeast of the Charminar
is located imposing edifice of the Nizamia Unani Hospital. About 50m to the
West, the line of shops in Lad Bazaar is interupted by an old, crumbling brown
wall, which marks the entrance to the old Nizama?s Jilau Khana (parade ground).
The grounds are now being used for the development of a large commercial complex.
Further down, a road to the left leads to the Khilawat Complex (Chowmahalla
Palace). The Lad Bazaar road terminates in a square called Mahaboob Chowk where
a large 19th century clock-tower looms over a delicate white mosque of the same
period.
Timings people are allowed (only in the cellar of the monument) all the
day and during night times till 100 clock.
How to Reach This Place
Road : Hyderbad, being Capital city is well conected by Road from all
major cities in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Maharastra and Orissa.
Rail : Being headquarter of South Central Railway , Well connected from
all major cities of India. Hyderabad & Secunderabad Rly Stations.
Air : Has international airport.
Bhongir Fort, Bhongir
||
Chandragiri
Fort, Chandragiri ||
Asman
Garh Palace, Hyderabad ||
Charminar,
Hyderabad Golconda
Fort, Hyderabad ||
Falaknuma
Palace, Hyderabad ||
Legislative
Assembly, Hyderabad ||
Osmania
University, Hyderabad ||
Purani
Haveli, Hyderabad
|| Paigah
Tombs, Hyderabad ||
Qutb
Shahi Tombs, Hyderabad Raymonds
Tomb, Hyderabad || Kurnool
Fort, Kurnool || Domakonda
Fort, Kamareddy ||
Quilla Ramalayam, Nizamabad || Gandhi
Hill, Vijayawada || Kondapalli
Fort, Vijayawada ||
Vizianagaram Fort, Vijayanagaram ||
Khush Mahal, Warangal
|| Warangal Fort,
Warangal || Thousand
Pillar Temple, Warangal
