The major land mark in Hyderabad is the Charminar, a monument with
   four graceful minarets (each 53m. tall), rectangular in shape under
   which two main streets of the city intersect, was built just two years
   after the founding of Hyderabad by Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah. According
   to local folklore, it was build to ward off the ravages of a deadly
   epidemic then spreading rapidly in the city.
   
   It is one of the grandest buildings in the country and stand next only
   to the TajMahal of Agra. Charminar is a square edifice built on four
   granite arches on four sides, and on each side there is a splendid
   arch way opening to the highway. Each minaret is reached by one
   hundred and fifty steps. The minarets add to the grandeur of the
   buiding and are visible from several parts of the city. The upper
   storey with its vastly covered corridor was originally used as a
   school for the children. There is also a small mosque exquisitely
   carved, on the roof of the Charminar. French travellers like
   Tavernier, Bernier and Modav who visited Hyderabad in the 17th and
   18th centuries have described the architectural beauty of Charminar in
   their writings.
   
   From high atop the Charminar's minarets one can see the entire city
   spread out below. It is a view one is privileged to see today, for
   during the Nizam's days it was forbidden. The minarets of the monument
   overlooked the Chow Mahalla and Panch Mahalla palaces: a viewer, it
   was feared, might catch a glimpse of one of the ladies of the royal
   household.
   
   It stands in majestic splendour, dominating a colourful scene of
   mosques, bazars and busy streets, the hub of the old city. It is here
   that the pearls, brilliantly coloured bangles and other bridal finery
   in the Lad Bazar, provide a feast for the eyes. It is here that the
   soul of the past lives on.
   

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