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| A side view of charminar |
The Charminar, built in 1591 CE, is a monument and mosque located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India.[1] The Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river.[2] To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah Masjid.[3]
The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches.[3]Some of the popular myths that are recorded in accord with the monument's architectural appearance are as follows.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the current undertaker of the structure, mentions in its records that: "There are various theories regarding the purpose for which Charminar was constructed. However, it is widely accepted that Charminar was built at the center of the city, to commemorate the eradication of plague",[4] as Qutb Shah had prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a Mosque at the very place where he prayed.[5] According to Jean de Thévenot (French traveller of the 17th century) whose narration was complemented through the available Persian texts, the Charminar was constructed in the year 1591 CE, to commemorate the beginning of the second Islamic millennium year (1000 AH), the event was celebrated in the far and width of the Islamic world, thus Qutb Shah founded the Hyderabad city in the year 1591 to celebrated the event of millennium year (1000 AH) with the construction of Charminar.[6][7]:17-19
"Masud Hussain Khan" an scholar of history mentions in one of his Urdu book; the construction of Charminar was completed in the year 1592, and it is the Hyderabad city which was actually founded in the year 1591.[8]:4 According to the book "Days of the Beloved"; Qutb shah constructed the charminar in the year 1589, on the very spot where he first glimpsed his future queen Bhagmati, and after her conversion to Islam, Qutb Shah renamed the city as "Hyderabad". Though the story was denied by the historians and scholars, but it became a popular Folk-lore among the locals.[9]:3,12
Qutb Shah (was also among the early poets of Dakhani Urdu), while laying the foundation of Charminar performed the prayers in Dakhini couplets, which are recorded as;[10][8]:4
