Charminar – Navigating the Soul of Hyderabad

Hyderabad – the city where biryani tastes divine, Irani chai makes you take a drive at 5 am, the age-old bazaars make you splurge more, and the tech-giant companies open doors for endless job opportunities. What a blend of so many little joys that count big. Right? But the heart and the soul of this city is ruled by the one and only, a letter inked by the gratitude of the royals – the Charminar of Hyderabad. 

Charminar crowns Hyderabad with its majestic gleam of history and sumptuous construction. Designed to add laurels to the busy-bee city of Hyderabad, this monument is one of the charmers we have read of in school days for all the glorious and gorgeous reasons. It is not only a monument but the soul of Hyderabad, and if you would like a moment to live the Shahi embodiment from the ancient era, then this spectacular monument is a sight to behold.

Charminar – The Historical Charm of Hyderabad

Charminar of Hyderabad, also known as the Arc de Triomphe of the east, is a grand structure that is named after the four minarets. It was Quli Qutub Shah, the 5th Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, who translated the idea of this edifice into reality. The Charminar perfectly depicts the design and architecture of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. 

This monument flaunts itself on the east brim of the Musi river where the Laad Bazaar stands to its west, and to the south-west, it has Makkah Masjid. Charminar is a historical as well as cultural glory that sings the symphony across four minars (pillars) in Urdu.

Even the locality around this building is known by its name, and if you are someone who is visiting the city for the first time, you obviously do not want to call it a night before jazzing towards it. While the surroundings are definitely traffic-stuffed and the shops are crowd-ridden in their own puzzled fashion, they all come together to set an old-school essence of the culture, and tourists love it.

History of Charminar

The Charminar was constructed in 1591. It was when the fifth Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, relocated his capital from Golconda to Hyderabad, owing to water scarcity. There are many theories about the reason that led to the construction of the Charminar, as listed in the Archaeological Survey of India.

Out of many speculated reasons why Charminar was built, there are two that are mentioned as the most probable ones. One of the theories about the Charminar is the shifting of capitals from the Golconda city to Hyderabad during Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah rule. It was established as the marking of the eradication of a plague, Cholera, that drove many to death in the city. The king took an oath to introduce a mosque on the site at which he performed prayers.

On the other side of the reason, it was a theory of Persian texts. These texts are a narration by a French traveller of the 17th century.

The city of Hyderabad, old and glorious, was crowned at the intersection of historical trade routes that link markets of Golconda to the port city of Machilipatnam.

How to Reach Charminar?

Metro Route

Currently, you will find no metro connectivity to the monument. However, the green line metro is on the cards to come up with a route that connects the Charminar to many other corners of the city.

Bus Route

You can always count on a bus to take you to the Charminar. The nearest bus station to the Charminar is located near the Makkah Masjid on the Charminar Road in the locality of Panch Mohalla. The distance is about 800 metres, and the approximate duration of reaching the destination by walk is 10-12 minutes if you calculate it. You will find numerous APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) buses that can take you to many other parts of the city from Hyderabad.

Railways

What is the nearest railway station to Charminar? It is HYB, the Hyderabad Deccan Railway Station, that is situated the closest to the monument. Also known as Nampally Railway Station, it is only about 4 kilometres away from the Charminar. And yes, you can also find Hyderabad MMTS or Multi-Modal Transport System trains that run from Hyderabad Deccan and Nampally to Lingampally/ Falaknuma. They will make a seamless mode for you to navigate other places in the city.

Airport 

The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, located in Shamshabad, is the nearest airport to Charminar Hyderabad. It serves domestic as well as international passengers. Almost every major domestic as well as international airline functions to and from this airport, including IndiGo, Jet Airways, AirAsia and Air India and also, Emirates and Etihad Airways, British Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and SriLankan Airlines. The distance between the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and the Charminar is around 20 kilometres, and it takes around 45 minutes to reach the monument from the airport.

Famous Shops and Landmarks Near Charminar

While you are feeling amused and heart-eyed looking at the Charminar, you should also take a look at the tourist spots that surround it.

Here, we have listed the must-visit shops and landmarks near the Charminar of Hyderabad (and you will undoubtedly end up collecting more ‘Reels’ content):

Makkah Masjid

Located on just a matter of a few miles, the Makkah Masjid or Mecca Masjid is the biggest mosque in Hyderabad. It has the capacity to host up to 10,000 devotees at once. The building is as ethereal as it gets, and as far as what’s said and believed, Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah had deployed bricks from the holiest shrine in Islam, Mecca. These were the bricks that were incorporated to build the central arch of the holy building, and therefore, the name turned out to be Mecca Masjid. If checking out marvellous architecture is on your bucket list, then you have to give this place a visit.

Laad Bazar

Laad Bazar is a famous Charminar market in the city that has come straight out of the Qutb Shah dynasty and is believed to have had about 14,000 shops. The times have passed, and it still remains to be the most popular bazaar in Hyderabad. This place welcomes you if you are on a shopping spree for lac and glass bangles, silk material, perfume oil, incendiary, spices and many other eye-candy items. But what’s the most refreshing thing over there? It’s the lane of Irani chai stalls that outshines.

Nimrah Café and Bakery

If you would like to delight your taste bud, then look no further than the beloved Nimrah Café and Bakery. Set near Mecca Masjid, you will come to notice that this cafe is all bathed and cherished in laughter and lots and lots of Irani chai. Speaking of chai, don’t forget to indulge yourself in a bite or more of Osmania biscuits. This cafe will introduce you to a multitude of different biscuits, and you will go all yum-yum over it. Not to mention, Nimrah Café and Bakery is a charmer of tourists and is treated as one of the best Irani cafés in Hyderabad. The place operates from 4 am (the favourite Chai hour) to 11 pm. This cafe in Hyderabad is definitely a must-visit because come on, isn’t it fascinating to delve into the miracles of chai in front of one of the marvels of the country- Charminar? 

Char Kaman & Gulzar Houz

Last on our list of must-visit places near Charminar Hyderabad but not any less than the above three. The north of Charminar has four arches that were constructed in the 16th century. These arches are referred to as not one but a number of names such as Char Kaman, Kali Kaman, Charminar Kaman, and more. The love of this place is displayed in the fountain that is situated right in it. This fountain is known as Gulzar Houz.

Intriguing Facts About Charminar 

While you probably know a lot about Charminar, nothing would be complete without a trip down the most interesting facts about this monument.

Why miss them?  Let’s know it all.

1.  Charminar was designed by an Iranian architect, Mir Momin Astarawadi, and the design art was Indo-Islamic.
2. Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutab Shah, the fifth king of the Qutab Shahi empire, built Charminar in 1591 as a celebration of the end of a plague.
3. Each Minar in the building features a ring that is visible to the beholder from the outside.
4. The monument has the Laad market located on its left side and Mecca Masjid in the south.
5. The city of Hyderabad, where this monument is located, takes you to the exhibition of different ancient as well as modern eras that give you a view of the marvels of 400-year-old buildings and on the other side, the interconnected modern buildings.
6. The Charminar is also known as the Four Towers, and it features four commands as well as four doors in the front.
7. It is believed that post the construction of this building, Muhammad Quli performed prayers there to thank Allah for the wipe-off of the plague.
8. The Charminar also has a stone balcony and a terrace along with two galleries that give this monument an addition of a terrace.
9. The four-tower architecture was brought alive in granite, mortar, limestone, and pulverised marble.
10.  It is bejewelled with colourful hues that spread every evening, setting up a scenic view across the surroundings.
11. The Qutub has displayed outstanding examples of royal architecture, including the Mecca Masjid, the Jami Masjid, the Tauli Mosque, as well as the heart and soul of Hyderabad, the Charminar.
12.  It is believed that the four pillars of Charminar make a symbol of the initial four Caliphs of Islam.
13. The four entrances that are the main entrances to the north of the monument are known as four commands.
14.  Every curve of the four pillars features a clock that was built in 1889.
15. You need to climb 149 steps in order to reach the top floor of the pillars. These minarets are separated by a total of 149 steps.
16.  The Charminar monument compels a large number of tourists, and it is not only because of the grandeur it is made of but also the old-school and royal history.

17. It is also believed that a secret passage starts from Charminar and goes to the Golconda Fort, the former capital of Kuli Qutab Shah. It was used as a route in times of emergency, and secretariats were sent safely from one place to another. 
18.  According to popular beliefs, the four minarets of the Charminar were built to represent the four khalifas or prophets of Islam.
19.  It is believed that there exists an underground tunnel that connects the Charminar to the Golconda Fort, which was meant to be an escape route for the royal family. The location of the tunnel, however, is not known.
20.   Adelbert Boucher, the Lindt chocolatier, created Charminar’s replica as a tribute. This chocolate Charminar weighed around fifty kilograms.
21. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb invaded Hyderabad in 1687 and ordered the destruction of the buildings. However, he spared the Charminar as it had a mosque located on the top floor.
22. Charminar even has a train named after it which is known as the Charminar Express. This train operates from Chennai to Hyderabad.
23. The structure of Charminar is featured as the Emblem of Telangana.

Current Condition of Charminar

The spectacularity of Charminar is now bustled by parking, vehicular traffic and street vendors. Thankfully, the government is addressing these issues and, as a measure, came up with the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project. This project involves initiatives like multi-level parking construction in order to resolve the traffic-related congestion and the exclusive hawker bridge for the relocation of hawkers.

Charminar Timings and Opening Days

Charminar visiting hours fall in the bracket of 09:30 am and 05:30 pm. As far as the days are concerned, Charminar is open throughout the week. However, it is suggested that you do not plan to go there on Fridays, given that it is the day of prayer of the Muslims and witnesses a huge crowd surge spread across a large proportion.

Charminar Ticket

Charminar ticket price is INR 25 for Indian travellers as well as tourists from SAARC and BIMSTEC countries, whereas the ticket costs INR 300 for foreigners. The visit to Charminar is free for children up to the age of 15.

Charminar Location

Here is the address of the Charminar monument of Hyderabad:

Pathergatti Road, Charminar, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500082

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