Qutb Minar
Delhi, India
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Rising 72.5 metres above Mehrauli in South Delhi, the Qutb Minar is a monumental minaret and victory tower built from red sandstone during the Delhi Sultanate. Construction began around 1199 under Qutab-ud-din Aibak, who initiated the tower after defeating Prithviraj Chauhan, the last Hindu ruler of Delhi, to mark the inception of Islamic rule in the region; however, only the first level was completed under his reign. Successive sultanate dynasties continued the work, with Firuz Shah Tughlaq rebuilding the upper portions and adding a cupola in 1368. The tower's 399 steps lead through a fluted shaft decorated with elaborate inscriptions and geometric patterns, topped by superb stalactite bracketing beneath each balcony stage. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Delhi's most visited monuments, it stands as a striking example of early Islamic architecture in India, comparable in scale and ornamentation to the slightly earlier Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan.
Movement
- Type
- minaret
- Materials
- red sandstone
- Heritage
- World Heritage Site
- Height
- 72.5 m
- Place
- Delhi, India
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