Чарминар

Charminar, whose name means "four minarets" in Persian, is one of the landmarks of Hyderabad in Telangana. It stands in the Bahadurpura area and is designated a Monument of National Importance. The structure has a square plan, with sides of 20 metres and a minaret at each corner rising 48.7 metres. Large arches on all four sides open onto the city's four main roads. Each minaret has four storeys separated by balconies, and a stair of 149 steps inside lets visitors climb for a view over the city. The mosque occupies the top floor of the four-storey building, at the western end of the open roof. A small ablution fountain stands at the centre of the lower level.

Charminar was built in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. During the Qutb Shahi period, the rest of the open roof, beyond the mosque, served as a court. Clocks were added on the four main sides in 1889.