Location: Mehrauli, New Delhi
Entry Fee: Rs.10 (Indians), Rs.250(foreigners)
Qutab Minar is a soaring, 73 m-high tower of victory, built
in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after the defeat of Delhi's last
Hindu kingdom. The tower has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting
balcony and tapers from a 15 m diameter at the base to just 2.5 m at the top.
The first three storeys are made of red sandstone; the fourth and fifth storeys
are of marble and sandstone. At the foot of the tower is the Quwwat-ul-Islam
Mosque, the first mosque to be built in India. An inscription over its eastern
gate provocatively informs that it was built with material obtained from
demolishing '27 Hindu temples'. A 7 m-high iron pillar stands in the courtyard
of the mosque. It is said that if you can encircle it with your hands while
standing with your back to it your wish will be fulfilled.
The origins of Qutab Minar are shrouded in controversy. Some
believe it was erected as a tower of victory to signify the beginning of the
Muslim rule in India. Others say it served as a minaret to the muezzins to call
the faithful to prayer.
No one can, however, dispute that the tower is not only one
of the finest monuments in India, but also in the world. Qutab-ud-din Aibak,
the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, commenced the construction of the Qutab Minar
in 1200 AD, but could only finish the basement. His successor, Iltutmush, added
three more storeys, and in 1368, Firoz Shah Tughlak constructed the fifth and
the last storey.
The development of architectural styles from Aibak to
Tughlak is quite evident in the minar. The relief work and even the materials
used for construction differ. The 238 feet Qutab Minar is 47 feet at the base
and tapers to nine feet at the apex. The tower is ornamented by bands of
inscriptions and by four projecting balconies supported by elaborately
decorated brackets. Even though in ruins, the Quwwat Ui Islam (Light of Islam)
Mosque in the Qutab complex is one of the most magnificent structures in the
world. Qutab-ud-din Aibak started its construction in 1193 and the mosque was
completed in 1197.
Iltutmush in 1230 and Alla-ud-din Khilji in 1315 made
additions to the building. The main mosque comprises of an inner and outer
courtyard,decorated with shafts and surrounded by piller. Most of these shafts
are from the 27 Hindu temples, which were plundered to construct the mosque. It
is, therefore, not surprising that the Muslim mosque has typical Hindu
ornamentation. Close to the mosque is one of Delhi's most curious antiques, the
Iron Pillar.
Architecture
The minar comprises several superposed flanged and
cylindrical shafts, separated by balconies carried on Muqarnas corbels.
The first three storeys are made of red sandstone; the
fourth and fifth storeys are of marble and sandstone. At the foot of the tower
is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be built in India.
The nearby 7 metres high Iron Pillar is a metallurgical
curiosity, standing in the Qutb complex. The pillar has Brahmic inscriptions on
it that predate the Islamic minar.
The minar tilts just over 60 cm from the vertical, which is
considered to be within safe limits, although experts have stated that
monitoring is needed in case rainwater seepage further weakens the foundation.
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