History of Charminar
Charminar was built by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty when he shifted his capital from Golconda to Hyderabad. The old city of Hyderabad was designed keeping Charminar as the centre of the city. The monument was built in order to commemorate the decision and eradication of plague from the city. It is known as Charminar as it is supported by four minarets on four sides.
Structure of Charminar
The Charminar is a square structure 20 meters in length from each side. It has four grand arches that face a fundamental point that open into four streets. There stands a 56 meters tall minaret at each corner with a double balcony. Each minaret has a dome on top with petal like designs at the base. You need to climb 149 steps to reach the upper floor.
The structure is made of granite, mortar, marble and limestone. There is a mosque located at the western end of the open roof. You can get a bird's eye view of the city from the balconies of Charminar. The devout people could offer prayers in a very peaceful manner inside the mosque.
Facts about Charminar
According to many old tales, there seems to exist a secret tunnel between the Charminar which leads way to the Golconda Fort. Many people of also said that there might be treasures hidden there but no one has been able to locate any such thing till now. At present, there are many high-rise buildings in the city of Hyderabad, but at the time it was built, Charminar was the first multi-storeyed building in the city. An important fact about Charminar is that there is a cat's head that is designed in the apex of one of the small arches on the eastern side because cats help in keeping away rats and rats once almost destroyed Hyderabad.
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