Qutb Minar

This article is about the brick minaret. For the entire complex, see Qutub complex.

Qutub Minar
Qutub Minar in Delhi
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Qutub Minar and its Monuments, Delhi
Type	Cultural
Criteria	(iv)
Designated	1993 (17th session)
Reference no.	233
State party	India
Region	Asia and Australasia

The Qutub Minar is a tower located in Delhi, India. It is the world's tallest brick minaret with a height of 72.5 meters (237.8 ft). Construction commenced by Qutb-ud-din Aibak who won Delhi from the Prithviraj under Mohammed Ghori as his commander in chief,and finished by Iltutmish, 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.

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.

Structure

Qutub-Minar in red and buff sandstone is the highest tower in India. It has a diameter of 14.32m at the base and about 2.75m on the top with a height of 72.5m.

Rajputs laid the foundation of Qutab Minar but after the invassion of Mohammed Ghori it was converted into a structure to celebrate the victory of Mohammed Ghori, the invader from Afghanistan, over the Rajputs in 1192. He raised the first storey, to which were added three more storeys by his successor and son-in-law, Shamsu'd-Din IItutmish (AD 1211-36). All the storeys are surrounded by a projected balcony encircling the Minar and supported by stone brackets, which are decorated with honeycomb design, more conspicuously in the first storey.

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).

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, which were demolished by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak as recorded in his inscription on the main eastern entrance.

Later, a lofty arched screen was erected and the mosque was enlarged, by Shamsu'd- Din IItutmish (AD 1210-35) and Alau'd-Din Khalji. 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.

History

According to history, the minar was started by Qutubuddin Aibak However, it is assumed & historians believe that Iltutmish finished it though the minar may have been commenced by Qutubuddin Aibak.

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 Qutb minar. 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 mosqueoffer prayer but it is so tall that you can't hear the person standing on the top. The earliest extant mosque built by the Delhi Sultans. Many historians believe that the Qutub Minar was named after the first Turkish sultan, Qutub-ud-din Aibak, but others contend that it was named in honour of Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, 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 Qutb 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 minar did receive some damage because of earthquakes 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 an earthquake but were repaired by Firoz Shah. In the year 1505, earthquake again 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.

Gallery

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• File:Delhi Qutub 13.JPG

See also

• Qutub Complex
• Qutub Festival

External links

• 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
• Template:Wikitravel