CHAHAR
MINAR
It is said that this building was founded by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1590-91. The minars referred to in the name have balconies with small five- tiered openings, and crown a dome in the four corners of this building. The balcony in the second tier (with 7 arches) and the third tier (with 15 small arches) connecting the tower gives a splendid atmosphere to this building. The first tier of the minar has a basement with stairs leading in all four directions. It also has large arch-shaped entrances in all directions. Either side of the entrance is decorated by 4 arch-shaped niches, creating a majestic atmosphere for the minar. These arch-shaped entrances are at the junction of the main streets of Hyderabad, showing this minar is the symbol of this city.
Currently, there is a small Hindu shrine built at the bottom of this great minar, which itself symbolizes Indian Islamic culture. This seems to suggest the tensions in the Hindu-Muslim relationship in India. For those well- informed about history, it is a building, which reminds one of the social and political turmoil in the Hyderabad region around the time of Indian independence. (Matsuo Ara)