QutubMinar the tallest monument of Delhi

 

 

         

 

QutubMinar, the tallest monument of Delhi, is a tower with a height of 72.5metres. It is in Mehrauli, Delhi. It has many ancient structures like Alai Darwaza, Iron Pillar, AlaiMinar etc. The tower tapers, and has a 14.3 metres (47 feet) base diameter, with 2.7 metres (9 feet) at the top of the peak. It contains a spiral staircase of 379 steps. There are 5 storeys in total. The first three are made of red sandstone; the last two are made up of marble and sandstone. There is a mosque at the foot of this tower, Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, which is the first mosque to be built in India.

 

Information to Know:

  • There is no entry fee
  • Opens all days of the week
  • Entry Fee : Indians – INR 30, Foreigners – INR 500
  • Camera is allowed and you can carry mobile phones also

 

History:

The construction of this tower started in 1199. There were several emperors whocontributed in the construction of this building. There was no entrance to this tower, Sher Shah Suri added one during the time period when he ruled. To the north-east of minar,Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque was built by Qutub-ud-Din Aibak in A.D. 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 and architectural members of 27 Hindu and Jaina temples.

 

Architecture:

The tower is constructed with five storeys. The lowest three storeys has cylindrical shafts or columns of pale red sandstone. The fourth storey is built of marble, and is relatively plain. The fifth is made up of mixture of marble and sandstone. There is a spiral staircase of 379 steps inside this tower. The minar tilts just over 65 cm from the vertical, which is considered to be within safe limits.

 

What to do in QutubMinar:

  • Photography
  • Look at carvings of the wall
  • Iron Pillar
  • Shop at local hawkers and markets

 

How to reach:

Nearest metro station is SamaypurBadli that comes on the Yellow Line. Also, there are several number of DTC buses to reach there.Mehrauli bus terminal is the nearest bus stand.

 

Places to visit near Mughal Garden:

QutubMinar Complex

Alai Minar

Mehrauli Archaeological Park

Tomb of ImamZamin

Darya Khan Tomb