Chand Minar, Medieval tower in Daulatabad, India
Chand Minar is a four-story tower rising about 63 meters inside the Daulatabad Fort complex, with 24 chambers spread across its different levels. The structure has a prayer hall at the base and visitors can reach it through the main fortress entrance.
Sultan Alau'd-din Ahmad Shah commissioned this tower in 1445 to celebrate a military victory of the Bahmani Sultanate over the Vijayanagara Empire. This was built during a period when the region was shaped by competing powers.
The tower mixes Persian and Indian building styles in a way you can see when walking around it. The brackets holding up the balconies and the blue tiles on the walls show how two traditions came together in one structure.
The tower sits on a hilltop, giving wide views across the surrounding area, and several viewing points are spread through the fort complex. Climbing involves stairs, so plan for some physical effort and visit early in the day when it is cooler.
A brass crescent moon crowns the top of this tower, making it a striking landmark visible from far away. This symbol was originally a religious statement and remains one of the most recognizable features of the structure today.
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