Qutb Minar
Coordinates: 28°31′28″N 77°11′07″E / 28.524355°N 77.185248°E
| Qutub Minar | |
|---|---|
 Qutub Minar in Delhi |
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| Official name: Qutub Minar and its Monuments, Delhi | |
| Type: | Cultural |
| Criteria: | (iv) |
| Designated: | 1993 (17th session) |
| Reference #: | 233 |
| State party: |  India |
| state party: | Asia |
Qutub Minar (English: The Qutub Tower; Urdu: قطب مینار) also Qutb Minar, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[1] Located in Delhi, India. The Qutub Minar was constructed with red sandstone and marble, and is the tallest minaret in India,[2] with a height of 72.5 meters (237.8 ft), contains 379 stairs to reach the top,[3] and the diameter of base is 14.3 meters whereas the last store is of 2.7 meters. The Construction was commenced by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1192 and completed by Iltutmish.[2] The Qutub Minar is notable for being one of the earliest and most prominent examples of Indo-Islamic architecture. It is surrounded by several other ancient and medieval structures and ruins, collectively known as Qutub complex.[1][2][3]
Qutab Minar is the nearest station on the Delhi Metro. A picture of the minaret also features on the Travel Cards issued by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
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[edit] Structure Of Qutub Minar
Qutub Minar in red and buff sandstone is the second highest tower in India, after the Fateh Burj or "Victory Tower" at Chappar Chiri village in Punjab’s Mohali district. A projected balcony encircling the Minar is supported by stone brackets which are decorated with honeycomb designs, more conspicuously so in the first story.
Inspired by the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan and wishing to surpass it, Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, commenced construction of the Qutub Minar in 1193; but conical shafts, separated by balconies carried on Muqarnas corbels[citation needed]. The minaret is made of fluted red sandstone covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an. Numerous inscriptions in Arabic and Nagari characters in different places of the Minar reveal the history of Qutb. According to the inscriptions on its surface it was repaired by Firoz Shah Tughlaq (AD 1351-88) and Sikandar Lodi (AD 1489-1517)[citation needed].
Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, to the northeast of Minar was built by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak in AD 1198. It is the earliest mosque built by the Delhi Sultans. It consists of a rectangular courtyard enclosed by cloisters, erected with the carved columns and architectural members of 27 Hindu and Jain temples[citation needed], Later, a coffee arched screen was erected and the mosque was enlarged,by Shams ud Din Iltutmish (AD 1210-35) and Allaud-din Khilji. The Iron Pillar in the courtyard bears an inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmi script of 4th century AD, according to which the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhvaja (standard of Lord Vishnu) on the hill known as Vishnupada in memory of a mighty king named Chandra. A deep socket on the top of the ornate capital indicates that probably an image of Garuda was fixed into it. It is situated in Delhi.
The Qutub Minar comprises several superposed flanged and cylindrical shafts, separated by balconies carried on Muqarnas corbels. The minaret is made of fluted red sandstone covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an. The Qutub Minar is itself built on the ruins of the Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika, the capital of the Tomars and the Chauhans, the last Hindu rulers of Delhi. The complex initially housed 27 ancient Hindu and Jain temples, which were destroyed and their debris used to build the Qutub minar.[4] One engraving on the Qutub Minar reads, "Shri Vishwakarma prasade rachita" (Conceived with the grace of Vishwakarma.)
The purpose for building this monument has been variously speculated upon. Some say the minaret was used to calling people for prayer in the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque but it is so tall that one cannot hear the person standing on the top. The earliest extant mosque was built by the Delhi Sultans. Many historians believe that the Qutub Minar was named after the first Turkish sultan (whose descendant- Wajid Ali Shah-repaired it), Qutub-ud-din Aibak,[5] but others contend that it was named in honour of Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki,[6] a saint from Transoxiana who came to live in India and was greatly venerated by Iltutmish.
The nearby Iron Pillar is one of the world's foremost metallurgical curiosities, standing in the famous Qutub complex. According to the traditional belief, anyone who can encircle the entire column with their arms, with their back towards the pillar, can have their wish granted. Because of the corrosive qualities of sweat the government has built a fence around it for safety. The quality of Iron is an excellence of technology. The smoothness of the pillar surface make it rust proof. The amalgamation of different metals with Iron produce such high quality of smoothness.
The minar did receive some damage because of earthquakes and lightnings on more than a couple of occasions but was reinstated and renovated by the respective rulers. During the rule of Firoz Shah, the minar's two top floors were damaged due to lightning but were repaired by Firoz Shah. In the year 1505, an earthquake struck and it was repaired by Sikandar Lodi. Later on in the year 1794, the minar faced another earthquake and it was Major Smith, an engineer who repaired the affected parts of the minar. He replaced Firoz Shah's pavilion with his own pavilion at the top. The pavilion was removed in the year 1848 by Lord Hardinge and now it can be seen between the Dak Bungalow and the Minar in the garden. The floors built by Firoz Shah can be distinguished easily as the pavilions was built of white marbles and are quite smooth as compared to other ones.
[edit] Gallery Of Qutub Minar
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "WHC list". whc.unesco.org. 2009. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/233. Retrieved 27 october 2011.
- ^ a b c Singh (2010). Longman History & Civics ICSE 7. Pearson Education India. p. 42. ISBN 9788131728871. http://books.google.com/books?id=JcqySqnQtzwC. Retrieved 27 october 2011.
- ^ a b Manohar Sajnani (2003). Encyclopaedia of tourism resources in India, Volume 1. Gyan Publishing House. p. 70. ISBN 8178350173. http://books.google.com/books?id=vdMNBxOsvrUC. Retrieved 27 october 2011.
- ^ "World Heritage Monuments and Related Edifices in India". Pg.107. Google Books.
- ^ Qutub Minar - Qutab Minar Delhi, Qutub Minar India, Qutab Minar New Delhi India
- ^ When fakirs held sway. The Hindu; Sep 06, 2004; Metro Edition. Retrieved on 15 August 2009.
- R. N. Munshi (1911). The History of the Kutb Minar (Delhi). G.R.Sindhe, Bombay. http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofkutbmin00munsiala#page/n3/mode/2up.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Qutb Minar |
- Qutb Minar tilting fast - TCN News
- Quwwat Al-Islam Mosque
- Qutb Minar at night
- Qutub Minar from satellite, recognizable by its long shadow
- Qutab Minar
- Downloadable photos Qutab Minar
- 19th century photography by Eugene Clutterbuck Impey
- The self healing Alloy: The unique Qutub Minor Iron Pillar
- Qutb Minar travel guide from Wikitravel
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