Charminar
Dubbed the Arc de Triomphe of the east and Hyderabad’s most iconic structure, Charminar, was built to mark the eradication of the epidemic cholera that had ravaged the city in the 16th century. Lying on the east bank of the Musi river with the Laad Bazaar to its west and Makkah Masjid to the south-west, Charminar is a cultural and historical landmark that translates into four minars or pillars in Urdu. The area around the monument is also referred to as Charminar, and for a first-timer a tour of the Nizam city is incomplete without taking in the infectious energy of the place where it all began. Albeit traffic-ridden, the bazaars are still chaotic with their labyrinthine by-lanes heaving with hawkers, bangle sellers and food stalls.
