10 Interesting Facts About Qutub Minar Delhi

Summary

Located on the outskirts of Delhi, Qutub Minar is a ‘must-visit’ attraction that should be included on a visit to the Indian capital. If you’re considering a visit to this amazing attraction, continue reading this article for interesting facts about the Qutub Minar, top tips, as well as a ton of information on the buldings in the Qutub Minar complex.

10 Interesting Facts About Qutub Minar Delhi

 

Located on the outskirts of Delhi, Qutub Minar is a ‘must-visit’ attraction that should be included on a visit to the Indian capital. The beautiful religious buildings of the Qutub Minar complex form one of Delhi’s most spectacular sights. If you’re considering a visit to this amazing attraction, continue reading this article for interesting facts about the Qutub Minar, top tips, as well as a ton of information on the buldings in the Qutub Minar complex.

 

 

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10 Interesting Facts About the Delhi Qutub Minar

• Qutub Minar means ‘pole’ or ‘axis’ in Arabic
• The Qutub Minar is the highest single tower in India
• The tower marked the site of the first Muslim kingdom in North India
• It was built as a mighty, awesome tower of victory to commemorate the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi
• Qutub Minar was meant to be the prototype of all minars (towers) in India
• It was influenced by the brick victory pillars in Ghazni in Afghanistan
• The iron pillar in the Qutub Minar complex has not rusted after some 2000 years
• Parts of the Qutub Minar complex have been built out of Hindu temples which can be seen clearly in the Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid
• The Qutub Minar has been damaged by lightening twice in 1326 and 1368
• Qutub Minar has a Decorative Light Show every evening from 6:30 to 8pm as well as the Qutub Minar Festival in October/November

 

 

Top Tips on Visiting the Qutub Minar

• Try to visit the Qutub Minar during the week as it gets crowded on weekends
• At the complex, visit the Qutub Minar first

 

 

Qutub Minar Map

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Information About Qutub Minar Complex

The Qutub Minar complex is large and includes not just the Qutub Minar but also mosques, tombs, screens and gateways, as well as the famous Iron Pillar.

 

1. Qutub Minar History & Architecture

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The Qutub Minar is nearly 73m high and tapers from a 15m-diameter base to a mere 2.5m at the top. It has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony. The first three storeys are made of red sandstone, the 4th and 5th storeys are of marble and sandstone. Qutb-ud-din built the first three and his son-in-law Iltutmish embellished these and added a fourth. This is indicated in some of the Persian and Nagari (North Indian) inscriptions which also record that it was twice damaged by lightning in 1326 and 1368. While repairing the damage caused by the second, Firoz Shah Tughluq added a fifth storey and used marble to face the red and buff sandstone. This was the first time contrasting colours were used decoratively, later to become such a feature of Mughal buildings. Firoz’s fifth storey was topped by a graceful cupola but this fell down during an earthquake in 1803. A new one was added by a Major Robert Smith in 1829 but was so out of keeping that it was removed in 1848 and now stands in the gardens.

 

 

2. Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid

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At the foot of the Qutub Minar stands the first mosque to be built in India, known as Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid (The Might of Islam Mosque). Also constructed in 1193, with various additions over the centuries, and completed in 1198, this building symbolises in stone the ascendance of one religious power over another. The original mosque was built on the foundations of a Hindu temple, and an inscription over the east gate states that it was built with materials obtained from demolishing ‘27 idolatrous temples’ – it’s possible to see many Hindu and Jain elements in the decoration. Hindu motifs, such as bells and garlands, are clearly visible on the pillars of this mosque.

 

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Screens

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Qutb-ud-din’s screen formed the façade of the mosque and, facing in the direction of Mecca, became the focal point. The sandstone screen is carved in the Indo-Islamic style, lotuses mingling with Koranic calligraphy. The later screenwork and other extensions (1230) are fundamentally Islamic in style, the flowers and leaves having been replaced by more arabesque patterns. Indian builders mainly used stone, which from the fourth century AD had been intricately carved with representations of the gods. In their first buildings in India the Muslim architects designed the buildings and local Indian craftsmen built them and decorated them with typical motifs such as the vase and foliage, tasselled ropes, bells and cows.

 

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Iltutmish’s extension

The mosque was enlarged twice. In 1230 Qutb-ud-din’s son-in-law and successor, Shamsuddin Iltutmish, doubled its size by extending the colonnades and prayer hall – ‘Iltutmish’s extension’. This accommodated a larger congregation, and in the more stable conditions of Iltutmish’s reign, Islam was obviously gaining ground. The arches of the extension are nearer to the true arch and are similar to the Gothic arch that appeared in Europe at this time. The decoration is Islamic. Almost 100 years after Iltutmish’s death, the mosque was enlarged again, by Ala-ud-din Khalji. The conductor of tireless and bloody military campaigns, Ala-ud-din proclaimed himself ‘God’s representative on earth’. His architectural ambitions, however, were not fully realized, because on his death in 1316 only part of the north and east extensions were completed.

 

 

3. Ala’i Minar

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When Ala-ud-din made his additions to the mosque he also conceived a far more ambitious construction program. He aimed to build a second tower of victory, exactly like the Qutb Minar, but twice as high! By the time of his death the tower had reached 27m and no one was willing to continue his overambitious project. Known as Ala’i Minar, the incomplete tower, a solid stack of rubble, stands to the north of the Qutub Minar and the mosque.

 

 

4. Ala’i Darwaza

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Ala-ud-din did complete the south gateway to the building, the Ala’i Darwaza; it was built of red sandstone in 1311 and is just southwest of the Qutub Minar. This exquisite gateway is the main entrance to the whole complex. It is also one of the earliest buildings in India to employ the Islamic principles of arched construction.

Ala-ud-din benefited from events in Central Asia: since the early 13th century, Mongol hordes from Central Asia fanned out east and west, destroying the civilization of the Seljuk Turks in West Asia, and refugee artists, architects, craftsmen and poets fled east. They brought to India features and techniques that had developed in Byzantine Turkey, some of which can be seen in the Ala’i Darwaza.

 

 

5. Famous Qutub Minar Iron Pillar

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This 4^th-century pillar, originally made as a flagstaff in Vishnu’s honour, is a tribute to ancient Indian metallurgy. This 7m-high pillar stands in the courtyard of the mosque and it was here a long time prior to the mosque’s construction. A six-line Sanskrit inscription indicates that it was initially erected outside a Vishnu temple, possibly in Bihar, and was raised in memory of Chandragupta II, who ruled from AD 375 to 413.

What the inscription does not tell is how it was made, for the iron in the pillar is of exceptional purity. Scientists have never discovered how the iron, which has not rusted after some 2000 years, could be cast using the technology of the time.

 

 

6. Iltutmish’s Tomb

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Built in 1235, Iltutmish’s Tomb lies in the northwest of the compound, midway along the west wall of the mosque. It is the first surviving tomb of a Muslim ruler in India. Two other tombs also stand within the extended Might of Islam Mosque. The idea of a tomb was quite alien to Hindus, who had been practising cremation since around 400 BC. Blending Hindu and Muslim styles, the outside is relatively plain with three arched and decorated doorways. The interior carries reminders of the nomadic origins of the first Muslim rulers. Like a Central Asian yurt (tent) in its decoration, it combines the familiar Indian motifs of the wheel, bell, chain and lotus with the equally familiar geometric arabesque patterning. The west wall is inset with three mihrabs that indicate the direction of Mecca.

 

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7. Other Tombs

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To the southwest of the uncompleted Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, an L-shaped ruin marks the site of Ala-ud-din Khalji’sTomb within the confines of a madrasa (college). This is the first time in India that a tomb and madrasa are found together, another custom inherited from the Seljuks. Immediately to the east of the Ala’i Darwaza stands the Tomb of Imam Zamin, an early 16th-century sufi ‘saint’ from Turkestan. It is an octagonal structure with a plastered sandstone dome and has jali screens, a characteristic of the Lodhi style of decoration.

There are some summer palaces in the area and also the tombs of the last kings of Delhi, who succeeded the Mughals. An empty space between two of the tombs was intended for the last king of Delhi, who died in exile in Yangon, Burma (Myanmar), in 1862, following his implication in the 1857 First War of Independence.

 

 

FAQ’s About Qutub Minar Delhi

Below are asnwers to some of most frequently asked questions about the Qutub Minar in Delhi. If you have a question that is not mentioned below, please leave your question in the ‘Comments’ section at the end of the page.

 

Who built Qutub Minar?

Qutub Minar was built by the Mughal invader and first Mughal ruler of North India, Qutub-ud-din-Aibak.

 

When was Qutub Minar built?

In 1193, Qutub-ud-din-Aibak built the first three storeys of the Qutub Minar. Over the following years, his son-in-law added a fourth storey and Firoz Shah Tughluq added the fifth.

 

Why was Qutub Minar built?

The Qutub Minar was built as a mighty, awesome tower of victory immediately after the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi. It was also intended to serve as the minaret attached to the Might of Islam Mosque. From here the muezzin could call the faithful to prayer.

 

Height of Qutub Minar

The Qutub Minar is nearly 73m high and tapers from a 15m-diameter base to a mere 2.5m at the top.

 

Qutub Minar Timings

7am to 5pm, daily

 

How to get to Qutub Minar?

The most affordable way to get to the Qutub Minar is to take the Metro to Qutub Minar station. From there, it’s about a 1 km walk north to the attraction. Alternatively, you can hire a taxi to the site or a private car for the day which is a more comfortable and convenient way to travel; however, apart from being expensive, peak time traffic can cause delays along the way.

 

Qutub Minar Location

Kalka Das Marg,

Mehrauli,

New Delhi,

India

 

 

Tell us what you think. Is the Qutub Minar on your list of places to visit in Delhi? Do you have any interesting facts about the Qutub Minar you would like to share? 

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