Qutub Minar

Delhi, the capital city of India is famous for its rich history and monuments associated with it. Among many historic monuments in Delhi, one of the major tourist attractions is Qutub Minar which is also a UNESCO world heritage site. This 72.5 meter brick minaret is one of the tallest in the world. This minaret has rich history associated with it. The construction of the Qutub Minar was started by Prithiviraj but it is believed that Iltutmish and Qutubuddin finished it. However, the top most storey of Qutub Minar was built by the orders of Firoz-Shah-Tughlaq and was completed in 1386 A.D. the Qutub Minar is one of the most prominent structure that represents the Indo-Islamic culture. The minaret is also surrounded by several ancient ruins which together come under the category of the Qutub complex.

The Qutub Minar is the most visited monument in India after the Taj Mahal. The minaret is a tall structure with 379 steps that lead to the top of the minaret. The base diameter is around 14.3 meters whereas the top floor measures around 2.75 meters in diameter. The Jam minaret in Afghanistan is the main inspiration behind the construction of Qutub Minar. The base of the minaret was completed by Qutubuddin Aibak, who was the first Muslim ruler of the Delhi state. The next three storeys were completed by Iltutmish. The fifth and the last storey were completed by Feroz-shah-tughlaq. Such towers were mainly erected by Ghurids and Ghaznavids in Afghanistan. The Qutub Minar consists of cylindrical shafts which are separated by the balconies carried on Muqarnas corbels. It is made up of red sandstone and have intricate carvings and verses picked up from the holy book Quran.

The minaret is built on the ruins of the Lal Kot, which is the Red Citadel in the capital city of Chauhans, the last Hindu rulers of Delhi. Initially, there wee 27 Hindu and Jain temples which were destroyed and then, their debris were used to build the Qutub Minar. The main purpose of the minaret was to call people for prayer in the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. Near Qutub Minar is an iron pillar which one of the first metal pillar of the world. There is a famous belief that any person who can completely encircle the pillar with his or her arms, with their back towards the pillar will have their wish granted.