The towering Qutub Minar in Delhi is also known as the Qutb Minar or Qutab Minar. It never fails to captivate tourists coming from all over the World. Why not, too? After all, you don’t often find an architectural marvel that claims to be the highest brick tower in the world and has been for almost 800 years. Isn’t it good enough of a reason to put this popular tourist destination on your itinerary? We think it is!
Here is the history, architecture, and some lesser-known facts about the Qutub Minar.
Here we go,
History of Qutub Minar
The Qutub Minar in Delhi is a five-story building that was built by many emperors over four centuries. About 1192, Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate, had it first built as a victory tower. Despite his inability to complete the construction of the minaret past the first floor, it bears his name. In 1220, Shams-ud-din Iltutmish, his successor, expanded the building by adding three storeys. One day lightning struck and damaged the uppermost floor in 1369. Sher Shah Suri created the Qutub Minar entryway, while Firoz Shah Tughlaq rebuilt it and added the fifth and last storey to the tower. About 300 years later, in 1803, there was another significant earthquake that severely damaged the tower. The building was repaired in 1828 by British Indian Army Major Robert Smith. He proceeded to add a sixth storey to the tower by installing a pillared dome on top of the fifth floor. However, Henry Hardinge, the Governor-General of India at the time, ordered the removal of this additional storey in 1848 and its replacement adjacent to the minaret. Since 1981, when an accident occurred inside the tower that claimed the lives of 47 individuals, access to it has been limited.Architecture of Qutub Minar
The Qutub Minar was constructed as a victory symbol and establishment of Muslim rule in Delhi. Thus, the exterior walls of Qutub Minar are constructed with chiseled Parso-Arabic and Nagari character carvings. These inscriptions describe the motive, way, time taken, and every other minor detail about the monument. The Minar has a height of 73 meters with a base diameter of 14.3 meters which further narrows down to 2.7 meters at the top. The intricate carvings have an Afghanistan pattern, blended with local artistic conventions, garlands, and lotus borders. There are five storeys and a projected balcony that surrounds the Minar. The first three storeys are made using red sandstone while the other two are made using white marble and sandstone. You will also find a cylindrical shaft that has inscriptions from the Quran. A mosque at the foot of Qutub Minar has a beautiful blend of Indo-Islamic architecture. Another feature of Qutub Minar is an Iron Pillar, standing tall for 1600 years without rusting. The vast complex of Qutub Minar is one of the favorite historical monuments in Delhi. It also showcases Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the earliest mosque constructed in Delhi and the only surviving example of Ghurid architecture in the Indian subcontinent, as well as Alai Darwaza, the first example of a genuine arch and dome.Things to see in Qutub Minar
You will witness the following structures inside the Qutub Minar Complex that make it one of the best tourist attractions:- The first mosque built in India was the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque.
- There is a grand gate towards the mosque from the South side known as Ala’i Darwaza.
- The Iron Pillar of Chandragupta II.
- The tomb of Iltutmish, the second ruler of the Delhi Sultanate.
- The tomb of Imam Zamin, a Turkish cleric.
- The tomb of Alaudidn Khilji and a madrasa.
- There is another unfinished victory tower of Khilji known as Alai Minar.
- Smith’s Folly, the dome which was installed on top of the tower Sanderson’s Sundial. It is a sundial designed in white marble.
Some Facts About Qutub Minar
- In Arabic, the meaning of the word Qutub Minar is a pole or axis.
- Qutub Minar attracted 3.9 million visitors in 2006, making it the most visited monument in India.
- It is the tallest red sandstone minaret in the world.
- The iron pillar in the Qutub Minar complex hasn’t been rusted in the last 2,000 years.
- There are 379 stairs to reach the top of the Qutub Minar (not accessible now).
- Qutub Minar is the home of Quwwat-Ul-Islam, the first Mosque ever built in India.
- There are half a dozen minor monuments in the complex.
- Qutub Minar was built by three different rulers – started by Qutab-ud-din Aibak (one story), and the rest completed by Shams-ud-din Iltutmish.