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Introduction
Among all the major monuments in Andhra Pradesh, the Charminar in Hyderabad is probably the most famous. In fact, it is one of the biggest tourist attractions of Andhra Pradesh as well of India. The Charminar is a wonderful piece of architecture situated in the heart of Hyderabad, amidst the multicolored shops of Lad Bazaar with its dazzling traditional bangles.
Charminar is often called The Arc de triomphe of the East. It is popularly believed that the Qutub Shahi king, Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah, the founder of the city built this outstanding square shaped structure in 1591-92 AD owing to the inadequacy of water and to ward off the break out of frequent epidemics of plague and cholera.
Four 48.7 meter high minarets of granite and lime-mortar flanking four grand arches facing North, South, East and West gave "Char (four) minar" its name. A blend of 'Cazia' and Islamic style of architecture, each minar of the Charminar stand on a lotus-leaf base, a special recurrent decoration in Qutub Shahi buildings. The arches of the edifice support two floors of rooms and gallery of archways. The clocks above each of the four archways were added in the year1889 AD.
The first floor of the Charminar housed a madarasa (college) during the Qutub Shahi era. The second floor has a mosque on the western side, the dome of which is visible from the road. This mosque ranks among the best mosques ever built by the talented Qutub Shahi artisans. There are 45 prayer spaces in this mosque with a large open space in front to accommodate the large crowd for Friday prayers. To the east of this mosque is a beautiful verandah with a large open arch in the centre, with smaller ones on both sides.
The Charminar looks magnificent particularly in the nights when it is illuminated. It requires a special permission from the Archaeological Survey of India, Hyderabad Circle, to go to the top of the minarets, which offers a bird's eye view of the city. The monument remains open on all days.
Tour to India invites you to explore the Charminar in Andhra Pradesh that will surely live on in your memory forever. Get in touch with us today and we will make sure that you enjoy a most wonderful trip to the Charminar in Andhra Pradesh India.
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