Hyderabad’s iconic Char Minar (literally ‘Four Towers’) mosque was erected in 1591 by Sultan Muhammed Quli Qutb Shahi, to commemorate the eradication of plague from his newly established capital. Flanked by a quartet of 54-metre-tall minarets, its cusp-arched gateways preside over a swirling intersection at the heart of the old city. Climb up its northeast tower to the first floor of the monument for a glimpse of the elaborately moulded interior, and a panoramic view over surrounding bazaars, which come alive after dark when the Char Minar is floodlit.