| Charminar | |
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| Building information | |
|---|---|
| Town | Hyderabad |
| Country |  India |
| Completion date | 1591 |
| Style | Cazia style |
| Size | 48. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country 7 m (159. 77 ft) each minaret |
Charminar (Devanagari: चार मीनार, Nastaliq: چار مینار) (translation: Four Towers), or a mosque of the four minarets, is a monument located in the City of Hyderabad, the capital city of the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. For the mountain formation see Minarets (California. Minarets ( Arabic manara (lighthouse منارة but more usually مئذنة (also anglicized as Nastaleeq;) is one of the main genres of Islamic calligraphy. Translation is the interpreting of the meaning of a text and the subsequent production of an equivalent text likewise called a " translation A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger For the mountain formation see Minarets (California. Minarets ( Arabic manara (lighthouse منارة but more usually مئذنة A monument is a structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of past India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country
Charminar is one of the most important landmarks of Hyderabad.
Contents |
History
The monument was built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 to commemorate the eradication of plague, shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what now is known as Hyderabad[1]. Muhammad Quli Qutab Shah (1580-1612 CE was the fifth sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda in South India. Golkonda (or Golconda) Telugu గోల్కొండ, a ruined city of south-central India is situated west of Hyderabad, capital of ancient Hyderabad Legends has it that the emperor Quli Qutb Shah prayed for the end of plague and took the vow to build a masjid on that very place. A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger He ordered the construction of the masjid which became popular as Charminar because of its four characteristic minarets (possibly depicting the first four khalifs of Islam). The top floor of the four-storeyed structure has a masjid which has 45 covered prayer spaces and some open space to accommodate more people in Friday prayers. Madame Blavatsky reports that each of the floors was meant for a separate branch of learning - before the structure was transformed by the imperial British administration into a warehouse for opium and liqueurs. Elena Petrovna Gan (Елена Петровна Ган also Hélène, Yekaterinoslav, Ukraine, Russian Empire — May 8 1891 London) better [2]
True to the legend, the city blossomed into a synthesis of two cultures. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli prayed: Oh God, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode. Like fishes in the water.
It is believed there is an underground tunnel connecting Golkonda to the Charminar, to allow the Qutb Shahi royalty to escape during hard times. Golkonda (or Golconda) Telugu గోల్కొండ, a ruined city of south-central India is situated west of Hyderabad, capital of ancient Hyderabad However, the exact location of the tunnel is unknown.
Construction
The Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument, with each side measuring 20 m, and each of the edges having a pointed high minaret. Classification A square (regular Quadrilateral) is a special case of a Rectangle as it has four right angles and equal parallel sides The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International For the mountain formation see Minarets (California. Minarets ( Arabic manara (lighthouse منارة but more usually مئذنة It derives its name from these four gracefully carved minarets which soar to a height of 48. 7 m above the ground, commanding the landscape for miles around. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Charminar literally means 'Four Spires' (Char (Hindi) = four, Minar (Arabic manara) = spire/tower).
Each minaret has four stories, each looking like a delicately carved ring around the minaret. For the mountain formation see Minarets (California. Minarets ( Arabic manara (lighthouse منارة but more usually مئذنة Every side opens into a plaza through giant arches, which overlook four major thoroughfares and dwarf other features of the building except the minarets. Plaza ( / latin america) is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban Public space, such as a City square. An arch is a structure that spans a space while supporting weight (e Each arch is 11 m wide and rises 20 m to the pinnacle from the plinth. A pinnacle (from Latin pinnaculum, a little feather pinna compare Panache) is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap A plinth is the base of a cabinet in Cabinet making. In Architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a Column, Pedestal Once upon a time each of these arches led to four royal roads. Each of the four arches has a clock which were put up in 1889. The monument overlooks another beautiful and grand mosque called Makkah Masjid. Mecca Masjid is one of the oldest and the biggest Mosques located in Hyderabad, India.
There are two galleries within the Charminar, one over another, and above those a terrace that serves as a roof, bordered with a stone balcony. In Gardening, a terrace is an element where a raised flat paved or gravelled section overlooks a Prospect. It is vaulted underneath and appears like a dome. A Vault (French voute Italian volta German Gewölbe Polish sklepienie, Spanish A dome is a common structural element of Architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a Sphere. There is a large table raised seven or eight feet from the ground with steps to go up to it. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Nothing in the town seems so lovely as the outside of that building. A thriving market still lies around the Charminar attracting people and merchandise of every description. Sao Paulo Stock Exchangejpg|thumb| Virtual market arena where buyer and seller are not present and trade via intemediates and electronical information In Marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a Market that might satisfy a want or need In its heyday, the Charminar market had some 14,000 shops, a unique conglomeration of a grand oriental bazaar. A conglomerate is a large Company that consists of seemingly unrelated Business sections The Orient is a term which simply means the " East " It originated in Western Asia to describe that part of the world A bazaar ( بازار) (pazar is a permanent merchandising area Marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold The whole market around the Charminar is crowded with shops which sell glass bangles in rainbow colours. Bangles (Kangan (Valayal (Gaaju or Chudi are ornaments worn mainly by women A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of Light to appear in the Sky when the Sun
Unlike Taj Mahal, the fluted minarets of Charminar are built into the main structure. The Taj Mahal (tɑdʒ Inside the four-storied minarets 149 winding steps guide the visitor to the upper floor, the highest point one can reach, and providing a panoramic view of the city. A coil is a series of loops A coiled coil is a structure where the coil itself is in turn also looping In its most general sense a panorama is any wide view of a physical space There are 45 prayer spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate more for Friday prayers. Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit
Built with granite and lime mortar, Charminar is a fine example of the Cazia style of architecture[3]. Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. Lime mortar is a type of mortar. It was used in the construction of the vast majority of brick and stone buildings worldwide from ancient times until the widespread adoption The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation Locally available granite, sand and lime were used in the construction of Qutb Shahi monuments including Charminar. Lime is a general term for various naturally occurring Minerals and materials derived from them in which Carbonates Oxides and Hydroxides of Lime used for the plaster seems to have been specifically ground and treated to give durable stucco. Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water Generally shell, lime, jaggery, white of egg, etc. Jaggery (also Transliterated as jaggeree) is a traditional unrefined Sugar used throughout South and South East Asia are known to enhance the binding property of lime. The SiO2 /CaO ratio in Charminar’s mortar and plaster (1. The Chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica or silox (from the Latin " Silex " is an Oxide Calcium oxide ( CaO) commonly known as burnt lime, lime or quicklime, is a widely used Chemical compound. 61-2. 25) indicates that the engineers at that time were probably aware of the necessity of having a higher Sio2 content but were not sure of the optimum value (presently the common practice is to have 3. 0) at which the maximum strength of lime cement could be obtained.
The Charminar looks spectacular particularly in the nights when it is illuminated. This graceful monument is very beautiful on the inside, and is particularly known for its carvings and moldings. The painstaking details result in a graceful, lace-like look.
It is said that during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, lightning destroyed the South Western minaret which ‘fell to pieces’, but ‘it was forthwith repaired at a cost of Rs60000. Charminar was replastered in 1824 at a cost of Rs 100000.
The area surrounding Charminar is also known by same name.
Notes
- ^ A.P. Government: Charminar
- ^ FROM THE CAVES AND JUNGLES OF HINDOSTAN,H. P. Blavatsky. Urbana, Illinois (USA): Project Gutenberg. Etext #6687. 2004. p 265
- ^ Charminar-Cazia Style of Architecture
Further reading
See also
External links
- Charminar is at coordinates Coordinates:
- Hyderabad on Wikitravel
- [http:http://www.glorioushyderabad.com/latest/charminar.html A Complete Information of Hyderabad]
- http://www.reachouthyderabad.com/historical.htm
- http://www.indiatravelog.com/hyderabad/charminar.html
- Seven Wonders of Hyderabad
- Cultural heritage
- Google Earth Model
- Hyderabad - Historic Wonders and Attaractions
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