Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar is the second largest brick minaret in the world. The

minaret, rising 80 meters (270 feet) into the sky, is made of marble

and red sandstone, made of brick carved using the sayings of the

Koran. Construction took four years, starting in 1193. A round

staircase with 379 steps leads to the top; It is closed to visitors.

Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosqueaa, the first mosque built in India, lies at

the foot of the minaret. Nearby is the Iron Pillar, so named because

it is made of metals that do not rust.

Qutb-Minar is a 73-meter-tall victorious tower built in 1193 by

Kutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after the defeat of the last

Hindu kingdom of Delhi. The tower has five separate floors,

each of which is marked by a protruding balcony and narrows from

15 m in diameter at the base to 2.5 m in the upper part. The first

three floors are made of red sandstone; fourth and fifth floors of

marble and sandstone.

At the foot of the tower is the Kuwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the first

mosque built in India. The inscription above its eastern gate

defiantly suggests that it was built from material obtained as a

result of the destruction of “27 Hindu temples.” In the courtyard

of the mosque is an iron pillar 7 meters high. They say that if

you can circle his back to him, your desire will be fulfilled.

The origins of Kutab-Minar are shrouded in contradictions. Some

believe that it was erected as a victory tower to mark the beginning

of Muslim rule in India. Others say that he served as a minaret for

the muezzins to call believers to prayer.

However, no one can dispute that the tower is not only one of the

best monuments in India, but also in the world. Qutab-ud-din Aibak,

the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, began the construction of Qutab Minar

in 1200 AD, but could only finish the basement. His successor,

Iltutmush, added three more floors, and in 1368 Firoz Shah-Tuglak

built the fifth and last floor.