Charminar

The Charminar is the emblem of Hyderabad: a square monument with a great arch on each side and a minaret at each corner, rising 48.7 m. It is a fine example of Indo-Islamic building with Persian touches. The arches and domes are Islamic in form, while the stucco floral work on the balconies and outer walls draws on Hindu decoration.

It is also a place of prayer. A mosque on the upper level has 45 prayer spaces around a courtyard, with a small fountain for ablutions. Several stories explain why it was raised. One says the sultan built it in thanks after a deadly plague ended; another links it to the mourning for Karbala; a third, from French travellers, ties it to the Islamic millennium. Legend also holds that Quli Qutb Shah, founder of the city, first saw Bhagmati on this very spot.