Delhi, Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar is located in the Mehrauli area of Delhi, India. Qutb Minar, along with the ancient and medieval monuments surrounding it, form the Qutb Complex, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Made of red sandstone and marble, Qutb Minar is a 73 meter tall tapering tower with a diameter measuring 14.32 meters at the base and 2.75 meters at the peak. Inside the tower, a circular staircase with 379 steps leads to the top. The minaret tilts just over 65 cm from the vertical.

The construction of Qutb Minar was commissioned by Qutub-ud-Din Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate in 1199 AD. The minaret was built on the ruins of the Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika. It and the complex around it used the ruins of 27 Hindu and Jain temples purposefully destroyed in the Islamic incursions. Aibak’s successor Iltutmish added three more storeys to complete the tower.

The topmost storey was damaged by lightning in 1368 A.D. and was rebuilt by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. Firoz Shah Tughlaq built two floors one of which can be distinguished easily as it was built of white marble. In 1505, an earthquake damaged Qutb Minar and the damage was repaired by Sikander Lodi. On 1 August 1903, a major earthquake again caused serious damage to Qutb Minar.

The Minar is made of dark red sandstone covered with iron intricate carvings and verses from the Qur’an. The minaret 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 and sixth storeys are of marble and sandstone.

(source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qutb_Minar)

Image published by Arian Zwegers on 2011-10-17 21:25:44 and used under Creative Commons license.

Tagged: , Delhi , Qutb Minar , India , Qutub Minar , minaret , UNESCO world heritage list , UNESCO world heritage , UNESCO , world heritage list , world heritage , heritage , National Capital Territory , capital , NCT , National Capital Region , NCR , World Heritage Site , 2008 , Qutb Complex , sandstone , marble , tower , Qutub-ud-Din Aibak

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