detail about qtutb minar

8/6/2019 Detail About Qtutb Minar

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Detail about Qtutb Minar

According to history books, the minar was started by Prithviraj or his uncle Vigraharaja whowon Delhi from the Tomar Rajputs. However, it is assumed and historians believe thatQutubuddib and Iltutmish finished it though the minar may have been commenced by Prithvirajor Vigraharaja. The minar was completed in 1200 A.D and since then the tall structure has beenthere upright and ever beautiful keeping an eye to Delhi just like a sentry. When Alauddinreturned from the wars in the Deccan, he had this thought in mind that he would build a victorytower somewhat similar to the Qutab Minar. The ruins of this very initiative can be seen adjacentto the Qutbuddin's mosque because Alauddin died at the very start of the construction work andno one carried on to finish the initiative taken by Alauddin.

Qutab Minar is another great masterpiece of Mughal architecture. It has a number of floors or storeys which has beautiful carvings like the one on the tomb of Iltutmish. There are inscriptionsall round the tower and these inscriptions reveal that Iltutmish finised the tower. The

structure of the wall is made as such that it widens from top to bottom, just to make theminar stronger.

Moving upstairs inside the minar will give you a wonderful experience and counting the stairs isalways a fun for visitors. It has 378 steps which takes good amount of energy to reach at the top.The top of the tower gives an insight to Delhi because you get to see the bird's eye view of thecity. To point a few sight seeing from the top, you will find views of the Hauz Khaz on the leftand the walls of the Jahanpanah and Siri on the right. It was this very top of Qutab Minar thatwas used by Khilji and Tughlaq kings to watch the wild Mongol hordes when they threatenedDelhi. The top also served as the watch top for Tughlaq who watched Timur's army camp on theWellingdon Airport. Other important monuments that is visible from the top are the walls of

Tughlaqabad, Humayun's Tomb, Purana Qila, Firoz Shah Kotla and Jama Masjid.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, theminar's two top floors got damaged due to earthquake but were repaired by Firoz Shah. In theyear 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 theaffected 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

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the Dak Bungalow and the Minar in the garden. The floors built by Firaz Shah can bedistinguished easily as the pavilions was built of white marbles and are quite smooth ascompared to other ones.

The minar is not that erect as it used to be because of wears and tears over the past several years.Closely looking at the mina rives you an idea that it is somewhat tilled towards one side. The

minar is very sincerely looked after by the authorities much like the same as other historicmonuments in the country.

DescriptionIn 1199, Qutub-ud-Din Aibak raised the Qutub Minar either as a victory tower or as a minaret tothe adjacent mosque. However, only the first story was completed by Qutub-ud-din.

The other stories were built by his successor and son-in-law, IItumish (1211-36 AD). The two

circular stories in white marble were built by Firozshah Tughlaq in 1368, who used marble toface the redstone.

From a base of 14.32m it tapers to 2.75m at a height of 72.5m. Its a red sandstone tower coveredwith beautiful and striking carvings and is inscribed with verses from the holy Quran.



Its projecting balconies with inscriptional decorative bands on different storeys heighten itsdecorative effect.

With a height of 72.5 m and 379 steps, it is the highest stone tower in India, as well as one of the finest Islamic structures ever raised and Delhi's recognised landmark.

World Heritage Sites - Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar and its Monuments (1993), Delhi

Qutb-Minar in red and buff standstone is the highest tower in India.It has a diameter of 14.32 m at the base and about 2.75 m on the topwith a height of 72.5 m.

Qutbu'd-Din Aibak laid the foundation of Minar in AD 1199 for theuse of the mu'azzin (crier) to give calls for prayer and raised thefirst storey, to which were added three more storeys by hissuccessor and son-in-law, Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish (AD 1211-36).All the storeys are surrounded by a projected balcony encircling theminar and supported by stone brackets, which are decorated withhoney-comb 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 theinscriptions on its surface it was repaired by Firuz Shah Tughlaq(AD 1351-88) and Sikandar Lodi (AD 1489-1517). Major R.Smithalso repaired and restored the minar in 1829.

Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, to the north-east of minar was built byQutbu'd-Din Aibak in AD 1198. It is the earliest extant mosque built by the Delhi Sultans. It consists of a rectangular courtyard

enclosed by cloisters, erected with the carved columns andarchitectural members of 27 Hindu and Jaina temples which weredemolished by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak as recorded in his inscription onthe main eastern entrance.

Later, a lofty arched screen was erected and the mosque was enlarged by Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish (AD 1210-35) andAlau'd-Din Khalji. The Iron Pillar in the courtyard bears an inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmi script of fourth centuryAD, according to which the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhvaja (standard of god Vishnu) on the hill known asVishnupada 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.



The tomb of Iltutmish (AD 1211-36) was built in AD 1235. It is a plain square chamber of red sandstone, profuselycarved with inscriptions, geometrical and arabesque patterns in Saracenic tradition on the entrances and the whole of interior. Some of the motifs viz., the wheel, tassel etc., are reminiscent of Hindu designs.

Ala'i-Darwaza, the southern gateway of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque was constructed by Alau'd-Din Khalji in AH710 (AD 1311) as recorded in the inscriptions engraved on it. This is the first building employing Islamic principlesof construction and ornamentation.

Ala'i Minar which stands to the north of Qutb-Minar, was commenced by Alau'd-Din Khalji, with the intention of making it twice the size of earlier Minar. He could complete only the first storey which now has an extant height of 25 m. The other remains in the Qutb complex comprise madrasa, graves, tombs, mosque and architectural members.

Open from sunrise to sunset



Entrance Fee:Citizens of India and visitors of SAARC (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives andAfghanistan) and BIMSTEC Countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar) - Rs. 10 per head.

Others: US $ 5 or Indian Rs. 250/- per head

Qutub Minar, Delhi

Location : DelhiDeclared World Heritage Site In : 1993Entrance Fee : Citizens of India - Rs. 10/- per head (children up to 15 years free)Others : US $ 5Visiting Time : sunrise to sunset

Description : The Qutb Minar is a red sandstone tower. One of the finest Islamic monuments of the country, Qutab Minar was built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak after his victory over theDelhi’s last Hindu kingdom. Situated just few kilometres south of Delhi, the tower tapers from2.75 mts in diameter at its peak to 14.32 mts at its base and it has alternating angular and

rounded flutings. In addition to Qutab Minar , you can see other notable monuments like massiveAlai Darwaza, two mosques including the famous Quwwatul Islam mosque. It has five storeys,and is the highest stone tower in India.

This site just south of Delhi is an ensemble of three monuments: the rust-free iron pillar, theQuwwatu'l-Islam mosque and the Qutb Minar (minaret).

Most remarkable in the complex is the iron pillar, which was built during the Gupta Empire (aHindu empire in India from 320 to about 335AD). It is made of such pure iron that it has never rusted, a standing testimony to the metallurgical skill of ancient Indians.

Qutbu'd-Din Aibak laid the foundation of Minar in AD 1199 for the use of the mu'azzin (crier) to

give calls for prayer and raised the first storey, to which were added three more storeys by hissuccessor and son-in-law, Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish (AD 1211-36). All the storeys are surrounded by a projected balcony encircling the minar and supported by stone brackets, which aredecorated with honey-comb design, more conspicuously in the first storey.

Numerous inscriptions in Arabic and Nagari characters in different places of the minar reveal thehistory of Qutab. According to the inscriptions on its surface it was repaired by Firuz Shah



Tughlaq (AD 1351-88) and Sikandar Lodi (AD 1489-1517). Major R. Smith also repaired andrestored the minar in 1829.

Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque to the north-east of minar was built by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak in AD1198. It is the earliest extant 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 Jaina temples which were demolished by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak as recorded in hisinscription on the main eastern entrance. Later, a lofty arched screen was erected and the mosquewas enlarged by Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish (AD 1210-35) and Alau'd-Din Khalji. The Iron Pillar inthe courtyard bears an inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmi script of fourth century AD, according towhich the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhvaja (standard of god Vishnu) on the hill known asVishnupada in memory of a mighty king named Chandra. A deep socket on the top of the ornatecapital indicates that probably an image of Garuda was fixed into it.

The tomb of Iltutmish (AD 1211-36) was built in AD 1235. It is a plain square chamber of redsandstone, profusely carved with inscriptions, geometrical and arabesque patterns in Saracenictradition on the entrances and the whole of interior. Some of the motifs viz., the wheel, tasseletc., are reminiscent of Hindu designs.

Ala'i-Darwaza, the southern gateway of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque was constructed byAlau'd-Din Khalji in AH 710 (AD 1311) as recorded in the inscriptions engraved on it. This isthe first building employing Islamic principles of construction and ornamentation.

Qutub Minar Location- 15 km south of New Delhi.

Qutub Minar is not only an important tourist spot in New

Delhi rather it is an exquisite example of the Mughal

Architecture. What the Leaning Tower is to Pisa or the

Eiffel Tower to Paris, is the Qutub Minar to New Delhi -its landmark. Qutub Minar is the highest stone tower in

India as well as one of the finest Islamic structures ever

raised. The famous monuments around the Qutub area

form the Qutub Complex which can be visited by the

tourists.

A window to the brief history of the monument

In 1199 AD, Qutub-ud-Din Aibak laid the foundation of

Qutub Minar for the use of Mu'azzin (crier) to give calls for prayer. However, only the first story

was completed by Qutub-ud-din. The other stories were built by his successor and son-in-law,

Shams -Ud -Din IItutmish (1211-36 AD). The two circular stories in white marble were built byFerozshah Tughlaq in 1368, replacing the original fourth storey. This towering structure in red

sandstone has a diameter of 14.32m at the base and about 2.75m on the top with a height of

72.5m.

About the grand architecture

All the storeys are surrounded by a projected balcony encircling the Minar and are supported by

exquisite stalactite designs. The tapering tower has pointed and circular flutings on the first story



round and star-shaped on the second and third stories. The bands of calligraphic inscriptions

are amazing in perfection. Numerous inscriptions in Arabic and Nagari characters in different

places of the Minar reveal the history of Qutub.

Other monuments located in close proximity to the Qutub Minar

Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, to the northeast of Minar is first mosque to be built in India and oneof the most spectacular in the world. Its construction was started by Qutub-ud-din Aibak in 1193

AD and the mosque was completed in 1197 AD. Additions were made to the building by

Iltutmush in 1230 AD and Alla-ud-din Khilji in 1315 AD. 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 Qutub-ud-Din Aibak as recorded in his inscription

on the main eastern entrance.

Close to the mosque is one of Delhi's most curious antiques, the Iron Pillar . The pillar, with its

distinctly inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmin script of 4th century AD, is said to have been

transported here, but its origins remain a mystery. Another mystifying factor is that despite being

exposed to the elements, the pillar has remained rust-free. According to popular belief, anyonewho stands with his back to the pillar and encircles it with his arms will have his wish granted.

One can see visitors to the Qutab Minar trying their luck at the pillar.

To the west of the Quuwat-ul-Islam mosque is another remarkable building - The Tomb of

Iitutmish. The tomb was built by the monarch himself in 1235 AD. It is a plain square chamber

of red sandstone, profusely carved with inscriptions, geometrical and arabesque patterns in

Saracenic tradition on the entrances and the whole of interior. Some of the motifs viz., the

wheel, tassel, etc., are reminiscent of Hindu designs.

Later monuments in this complex include the Alai Darwaza and the Ala'i Minar , built by Ala-

ud-din Khilji (1296-1316 AD). The Alai Darwaza is a magnificent gateway with inlaid marbledecorations and latticed stone screens that display the remarkable artistry of the Turkish

artisans who worked on it. The Ala'i Minar was conceived of as a greater tower than the Qutab

Minar, but its construction was abandoned after the completion of the 25 m high first story.

detail about qtutb minar

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