The Charminar was the first building to come up in the then-new city of Hyderabad, on the crossroads that led to Machilipatnam to the east and Golconda to the west. The orientation of the city is 4 degrees away from the North so as to match the Qibla. The first floor of the Charminar has a circular gallery while the second floor has a very ornate mosque. The mosque atop Charminar is the finest example of the beauty of Qutb Shahi architecture. The Bazaars extended to the west from Charminar, known as the Lad Bazar, which traded pearls.

Charminar was the public square of the city, a space that could breathe. It is said that around 14,000 wooden shops came up in the city after its inception.