Charminar historical timeline

Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah created Hyderabad as a new capital beyond Golconda. Charminar marked its principal intersection and gave architectural form to the new city's centre. The date is secure; the commemorative explanation is not.

Chronology

1. 1589 Construction begins according to the Hyderabad district account, within the programme for the new Qutb Shahi city.
2. 1591 Charminar is completed under Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. Its four arches face the main thoroughfares, fixing the centre of Hyderabad's planned urban layout.
3. Early use Rooms and galleries serve educational and ceremonial functions, while the mosque occupies the western side of the upper level.
4. 1670 Lightning damages one minaret. It is subsequently repaired, showing that the apparent symmetry already includes historic replacement and maintenance.
5. 1820 Sikandar Jah sponsors a further renovation campaign.
6. 1889 Clocks are added to the four faces, inserting a new civic function into the sixteenth-century arches.
7. 20th century Expanding traffic and commerce surround the monument as Hyderabad grows far beyond the Qutb Shahi core. Conservation increasingly has to address pollution, vibration and crowd pressure as well as masonry.
8. Present day The Archaeological Survey of India protects the monument. Visitors can normally reach the public gallery, while the mosque and upper portions remain restricted. The building remains a working urban landmark rather than an isolated archaeological remnant.

Competing foundation stories

The plague-ending story is widely repeated, but the district authority also records explanations connected to the second Islamic millennium, Karbala, the city's foundation and Bhagmati. The sound historical conclusion is narrower: Charminar was built at the creation of Hyderabad and intentionally occupied its urban centre.

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• Wikipedia