Charminar’s 149 Steps: A journey through Hyderabad’s iconic monument

The Charminar, Hyderabad’s most iconic monument, has 149 steps leading to its top floor through narrow spiral staircases. While visitors can access only one minaret, the climb offers panoramic views of the city.

Hyderabad: Ever wondered how many stairs lead to the top floor of Charminar? Not many are aware of the figure even though scores have made their ascension to the top of the monument.

There are 149 steps leading to the top floor of the Charminar monument from the ground. The climb to the top of the Charminar through the winding spiral staircases within its four minarets is quite challenging with dimly lit stairs and queues often forming for visitors.

Once at the top, the panoramic view from above is worth the effort of climbing the 54 steps that take you to the first floor. The entry of the public into the upper floors, including the one where a mosque is located, is prohibited.

“The entry is allowed through a single minaret for visitors and they come down through the stairs of another minaret. The stairs have no handrails or a railing, but rarely has anyone fallen down,” said a security guard at the monument.

The Charminar was built by the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, in 1591 after shifting his capital from Golconda to the newly formed city of Hyderabad.

However, there are various theories about why the monument was built, but the widely accepted theory is that the monument was built to provide work after a plague in 1590.

A few other theories suggest it was a city square to mark the four cardinal directions, a water tank to pump water to the seventh storey palace of the Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a mosque-cum-madrasa or a market square.