Charminar

Charminar

Best Time to Visit : October to March
Popular as : The Arc de Triomphe of the East"
Other Attractions : Mecca Masjid, Chow Mohalla Palace, Shahali Banda, Laad Bazar, Kali Kaman and Patthar Gatti.
Built By : Sultan Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah
Built In : 1591

Charminar is always on the top of the mind of any tourist visiting Hyderabad.  A splendid piece of architecture standing in the heart of the city built by Quli Qutub Shah, in 1591. This magnificent monument is the unique symbol of Hyderabad. Charminar is often called as "The Arc de triomphe of the East". It is considered as the legendary masterpiece of Qutub Shahi's.

This beautiful structure derives its name from four intricately carved minarets, The four graceful minarets literally meaning 'Four Minars', soar to a height of 48.7m each, above the ground. It is located amidst the colourful shops of Lad Bazaar with its glittering traditional bangles in the old city. Enormous in its size, this imposing monument exudes a charm that is more than 400 years old.

A Representation Of Indo-Sarcenic Tradition
 

It was built with granite and lime-mortar. It is a blend of 'Cazia' and Islamic style of architecture. The intertwined arches and domes are examples of typical Islamic style of the architecture. The graceful floral motif atop the Charminar (Char Minar) is enchanting. The Charminar depicts the Indo-Saracenic tradition - a symbiosis of the Hindu and the Muslim traditions, which has woven the magic of a rich Deccan culture. The Charminar looks spectacular particularly in the nights when it is illuminated.

It offers an excellent panoramic view of the city and Golconda Fort, which makes the mind go back into time and recapitulates the past glory of Hyderabad during the Qutub Shahi times. Charminar has become an inseparable part of the history of Hyderabad.

The Qutub Shahi Reign

The history of Hyderabad begins with the establishment of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. Owing to the inadequacy of water and frequent epidemics of plague and cholera Quli Qutub Shah established the new city with the Charminar at its centre with four great roads fanning out in four cardinal directions.

The plan is a square, each side 20m long, while the four arches are 11m wide and rise 20m from the plinth. The four-storeyed minarets rise 20m from the roof of the massive monument and measure 24m from the plinth. The western section of the roof contains a mosque, ranking among the finest the gifted Qutub Shahi artisans ever built.

There are 45 prayer spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate more for Friday prayers. To the east of this space is a lovely verandah with a large open arch in the centre, flanked by smaller ones on both sides.

Places to stay in Hyderabad

Accommodation is available in the hotels at Hyderabad.

How to Get There

• Air
  Hyderabad being the capital city is well connected by air and has got its own airport.
• Rail
  Hyderabad has got its own railhead, which connects it to all the major cities within the state as well as in the country.
• Road
  Tourists can take city buses from any point of the city. Rickshaw's and Taxi's are the other modes of Transport to get to Charminar.

Golcondafort Hyderabad

Golconda fort is an extraordinary monument of Hyderabad, built in the 13th century by the kakatiya kings and
the present structure of the Golconda Fort was renovated by Qutub Shahi kings into a massive fort. The magnificent fort of Golconda in Hyderabad is one of the most magnificent fortress complex in India which lies on the western outskirts and is around 11 kilometers from Hyderabad city it is located on a granite hill having a height of 120m.

The construction of Golconda Fort of Hyderabad dates back to the early 13th century when this south eastern part of the country was ruled by the Kakatiyas. Nowadays the ruins of the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad have a desolate majesty in the midst of an arid plain.

 

Golconda Fort in Hyderabad is located on a hill about 400 feet above the surrounding plain. The Golconda Fort has 10 kilometers long outer wall with the following structures:

• 87 semi circular bastions with with cannons on few bastions
• 80 gateways
• 4 drawbridges
• Royal apartments

The main gate of the Hyderabad Golconda Fort is called Fateh Darwaza or the Gate of Victory. This door of the Golconda Fort is 13 feet wide and 25 feet high and constellated with steel spikes, that used to protect it from the elephant attacks during wars. The Balahisar Darwaza is one of the eight gate ways and is the most impressive gate way of all. The Golconda Fort of Hyderabad comprises of a palace, a parade ground, a mosque, an armory and other buildings. More than 380 uneven stone steps starts from the Balahisar Darwaza to Hyderabad Golconda Fort.

Places In Hyderabad

1.Golconda Fort
2.Charminar
3.Salarjung museum
4.Birla Temple, Planetarium,science museum
5.Chilkur Balaji temple
6.Buddha Statue
7.Assembly
8.Ravindrabharathi.
9.Saanghi Temple
10.Ramoji film city

place of history

I like Hyderabad, depite as second IT city in India after Bangalore, it's full of amazing story and historical venues. 70% of population are Muslim with the rest mostly consist of Hindu. However, we still can witness the wonder of Buddha statue in spite of different religions. People are friendly, and the way they approaching visitors is surprisingly warm.

About Hyderabad

Brief history of hyderabad
hyderabad-city
Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh is a bustling 400 year old metropolis with an urban population of 4.2 million people approximately. The city is cosmopolitan, and is richly endowed with a
variety of cultures. The city presents an attractive amalgam of old world charm together with ebullience of growth and enterprise. Beautiful old edifices built in the medieval, large glass and chrome temples of commerce.


The history of Hyderabad begins with the establishment of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. Quli Qutub Shah seized the reins of power from the Bahamani Kingdom in 1512 and established the fortress city of
Golconda. Inadequacy of water, and frequent epidemics of plague and cholera persuaded Mohammed, the fifth Quli Qutub Shahi ruler to venture outward to establish the new city with the Charminar at its center and with four great roads fanning out in the four cardinal directions.

Hyderabad's fame, strategic location and Golconda's legendary wealth attracted Aurangazeb who captured Golconda after a long siege in 1687. After this defeat the importance of Hyderabad declined and the city fell into partial ruin.

As the Mughal Empire decayed and began to disintegrate, the victory, Asaf Jah-I proclaimed himself the Nizam and established independent rule of the Deccan. Hyderabad once again became a major capital city, ruled by successive Nizams of the Asaf Jah dynasty until the state was merged into the Indian Union in 1948.

In 1798, a subsidiary alliance for military and political cooperation was signed between the Nizam and the British East India company. Thereafter, an area north of what is now the Hussain Sagar lake was
established as a cantonment. The area was named Secunderabad after the then Nizam, Sikander Jah. Both Hyderabad and Secunderabad grew together and have now merged. An imaginary line drawn across the Tank Bund is still used to distinguish the two cities.

The City of Hyderabad is famous for its minarets and its pearl bazaar. Pearl from all over the world are said to come to Hyderabad because the artisans here are skilled in piercing and stringing pearls without damaging them. The city's gypsy tribes called "Lambadas" and "Banjaras" are known throughout the country for their colorful costumes - and Hyderabadi cuisine is much sought after.

Hyderabad is at an altitude of 536 meters with the mean summer temperature going up to a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius and the minimum average temperature being around 22 degrees. The maximum winter temperature is around 22 with the minimum going down to around 12 degrees. Light woolens are required during early mornings and late evenings.
culture of hyderabad
The infamous Hyderabadi pearl Culture. Who hasn't heard about the soft, rounded, luminescent, tear drop pearl of Hyderabad. People form everywhere flock here to possess a few of these pearls. But why Hyderabad? It neither is on the sea coast nor near to it. Yet it has become almost synonymous with pearls. It is because of the city's grand and very old history. Hyderabad was a princely state and a very rich one too! The royal patronage saw to the burgeoning growth of arts, crafts and cuisine. Their rich life-styles beckoned many a craftsman from distant parts of the world, especially the Arabian Gulf where the rare original pearls are found in abundance. Hence, Hyderabad became the one-stop-destination for pearls. There is an entire street which only comprises of pearl shops - Patther Gatti.

In the land of beautiful women, beautiful poetry, beautiful cuisine and beautiful pearls, one more can be added to the beautiful string, i.e. Beautiful bangles. Down the centuries, the lure of bangles still persists in the hearts of millions of women who love to adorn their arms with a dazzling set of Hyderabadi bangles. There are about 450 shops flanking either side of the world famous Charminar with around 2500 craftsmen weaving their magic around your arms. These bangles are so very purse and are of high quality too.