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Charminar is the oldest landmark of Hyderabad, built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah of Qutb Shahi dynasty way back in 1591.

Legend has it that the building honours a promise Quli Qutb Shah made to Allah. He supposedly had prayed for the end of a plague and vowed that he would build a masjid on that very place. The masjid became popularly known as Charminar because of its four (Farsi char = four) minarets (Minar (Arabic manara) = spire/tower), which possibly honour the first four caliphs of Islam. The actual masjid occupies the top floor of the four-story structure.

The elegant structure of the Charminar is a vivid example of Cazia style of architecture comprising of granite and lime-mortar.