India is home to some of the most beautiful places ranging from thousands of places of worship to breathtaking views from the top of mountains. India is a dream location for tourists. One such location is in Delhi, the Qutub Minar.
The Qutub Minar is a minaret, built as a victory symbol that started the sultanate rule in India. 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.[source]
How to reach
The Qutub Minar is situated in the capital city, Delhi. Hence, is very well connected to the outside world. There is a nearby airport, The IGI Airport, one of the largest and busiest international airports in India. From the airport, you can take a private cab and in like 20 min you will reach there.
If you are in the city, the metro services are great too. You can get the metro from almost anywhere in the capital, the nearest station to the monument is the "Qutub Minar" metro station, of course, named after this beautiful minaret. From there you can take a private cab or shared public transport. Even you can walk to the place it's just under a mile from the metro station.
I reached there by metro and a 15 min walk to the Mehrauli Archeological Park that was next to the Qutub Minar Complex.
View from Rose Garden, Mehrauli Archaeological Park
You can see it from far away easily standing tall and peeking out from the canopy of trees.
I left the "Mehrauli Archaeological Park" and was at the gate of the complex within minutes.
Do keep in mind that Baggage is not allowed within the complex but there is a storeroom where you can store your bags. Also, you have to get an entry ticket, which is ~ $0.5 for Indians and ~ $7 for foreign citizens. And entry for children under 15 years of age is free.
This is the entry gate to the Complex.
Entry Gate at Qutub Minar Complex
It is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the city and also is a World Heritage Site.
History
The area around the complex, commonly known as Mehraulli is one of the oldest inhibited place in the area. It was ruled by Tomar Rajput in 1060 AD.[source]
Turks came and invaded the city and its name came from that first ruler Qutb-ud-din-Aibk who established the *Sultanate rule. To celebrate this victory, the construction of Qutb minar was commenced in early 13th century.[source]
View of Alai Darwaja
Design and Architecture
Qutub Minar is a 5 storey tower made from red and grey sandstone with intricate stone carvings showing the mix of Indo-Muslim culture.
Quran verse inscribed outside the Minar along with traditional Indian floral design
You can see that the verses of Quran are engraved with floral design used in Indian culture.
The minaret is cylindrical in shape but tapered, the diameter on the base of the structure is around 14 meters and it tapers down to 2.7 meters at the top of the tower.[source] Like a reverse cone shape.
The height of the tower is 72.5 meters, you can easily distinguish the change in design in the 4th storey which was damaged by lightning and repaired by consecutive ruler and a new 5th storey was also added later on in the 14th century.
The tower consist of 379 spiral stairs but it is closed for public due to people commiting suicides jumping from the top.[source]
Damaged arch gate
Other Structures in the Complex
No doubt that the Qutub Minar is the most stunning structure in the whole complex but there are many other structures around it. I will tell you one by one.
Alai Minar
Incomplete Alai Minar
A Minar double the size of Qutub Minar, that would have been a spectacle to see if it had been completed.
Tomb of Iltutmish
Outside view of Tomb of Iltutmish
Interior of Tomb of Iltutmish
Beautiful carved marvel with floral and arabic inscriptions
Can you notice the difference on how the inside is beautifully carved with floral and Islamic texts but the outside isn't? I wonder why...
Tomb of Imam Zamin
he Tomb of Imam Zamin is a 16th-century tomb located in the Qutb Minar complex, Mehrauli, Delhi in India. It houses the tomb of Mohammad Ali (popularly known as Imam Zamin), an Islamic cleric who migrated from Turkestan to India during the reign of Sikandar Lodi. The tomb was built by Ali himself during the reign of Mughal emperor Humayun. This tomb has no relation with the other monuments of the complex.[source]
A little boy sitting in front of Tomb of Imam Zamin
Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
It was one of the first Mosque build in India after the conquest of India by Muslim rulers. According to the findinds of "Archeological Survey of India (ASI)", it was created after demolishing temple built on this site and even the building materials from that temples was used to build this.[source]
Intricate stone carvings on the cloister columns at Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque, Qutb complex
Intricate stone carvings on the cloister columns at Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque, Qutb complex
Intricate stone carvings on walls inside Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque, Qutb complex
Alai Darwaza
The Alai Darwaza is a main gateway from southern side of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque.[11] It was built by the second Khalji Sultan of Delhi, Ala-ud-din Khalji in 1311 AD, who also added a court to the pillared to the eastern side. The domed gateway is decorated with red sandstone and inlaid white marble decorations, inscriptions in Naskh script, latticed stone screens and showcases the remarkable craftsmanship of the Turkish artisans who worked on it. This is the first building in India to employ Islamic architecture principles in its construction and ornamentation.source
Alai Darwaza, view from southern gate
As you can see that there are many monuments and buildings in Qutub Complex. This is a nice place to go with friends or family, you will definately love its beauty and you'll know more about Indian history too. I wish we could go to the top of the Qutub Minar and get a good bird's eye view of the entire city.
I will leave you with a nice shot. Enjoy and please let me know your views about the whole complex.
Note:
- All the content is mine unless otherwise stated.
- Photos taken from my phone and edited using "Snapseed" app.
- Text divider are from @cryptosharan.
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