Charminar

Charminar

The Charminar was built at the intersection of the historical trade route connecting the markets of Golkonda with the port city of Machhilipatnam. The city of Hyderabad was designed with the Charminar at its center, spread around in four quadrants along the four cardinal directions. Mir Momin Astarabadi of the Qutb Shahi dynasty played an important role and ordered extensive preparations for the design and layout along with that of the new capital city. Architects from Persia were invited to provide additional designs and suggestions. Inspired by the shapes of Shiya Tazias built to commemorate the tragic death of Prophet Muhammed’s grandson, Hussain at the battle of Karbala, the structure of the Charminar is perfectly square, with each side measuring 20m. The four grand arches open into four different streets and stand 11m wide. The square structure accommodates four minarets in each corner. The minarets are 56 meters high, house two balconies, and are topped with small delicate domes and intricate carvings on the outside walls. Unlike other prominent Islamic monuments, the minarets are built into the main structure. Inside the minarets there is a spiral staircase with 149 steps and 12 landings. The structure is a fine example of Indo-Islamic architecture with ample Persian influences. While arches and the domes show the influence of Islamic architecture, the minarets reflect Persian influence. The delicate stucco floral ornamentations on the ceiling, the balconies and the outside walls speak of Hindu influences.

wordlheritage2022

1591

psr1

Site

547

10/05/2022

05/10/2022 07:15:47 pm

cm x cm x cm

current,17.361722308612038,78.47469131930615;

Charminar

TEXT

Building

1003

psr1@st-andrews.ac.uk