Charminar is the Indian monument completed in 1591 as a four-sided gateway topped by four minarets.
The structure stands in Hyderabad, Telangana, and its name combines the words for “four” and “minarets.” Each side has a large pointed arch, while the four corner minarets rise several storeys above the monument. The building was commissioned by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty.
Charminar formed the centre of the historic city established by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. A mosque occupies the upper floor, and the monument is closely associated with Hyderabad’s old-city markets. Its original purpose is discussed by historians, although local tradition links its construction with the founding of Hyderabad and the ending of a plague.
Charminar is often confused with nearby Golconda Fort, but the two are different monuments. Golconda was a fortified capital, while Charminar was an urban ceremonial and religious structure.