Charminar Often called "The Arc de triomphe of the East", Charminar was built by Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah, the erstwhile Qutub Shahi Sultan of Golconda, in 1591. Four towering minarets frame four grand arches of the Charminar - a 400+ year old monument that is Hyderabad's signature landmark. The Charminar, meaning "Four Minarets", was built as a mosque at the time that the Qutb Shahi dynasty moved the capital from Golconda to Hyderabad. Located in the heart of the old city, the Charminar area has numerous other historic attractions including the Mecca Masjid (the 2nd largest mosque in India) and numerous colorful bazaars. Charminar is surrounded by markets and structures its grace.

Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah laid the Charminar, the structure was intended to serve as a Mosque and Madraasa. Mir Momin Astarabadi, the prime minister of Qutb Shah played a leading role to prepare the layout plan for the Charminar along with the new capital city (Hyderabad),[13]:170 the additional eminent architects from Persia were also invited to develop the city plan. the structure is of Indo-Islamic architecture style, incorporating Persian architectural elements.
The Charminar was constructed on the intersection of the historical trade route that connects the markets of the Golconda with the port city of Masulipatnam. The Hyderabad city was designed keeping Charminar as a center piece.