Qutub Minar

The Qutb Minar, also spelled as Qutub Minar and Qutab Minar, is a minaret and "victory tower" that forms part of the Qutb complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mehrauli area of New Delhi. The height of Qutb Minar is 72.5 meters, making it the tallest minaret in the world built of bricks. The tower tapers, and has a 14.3 metres (47 feet) base diameter, reducing to 2.7 metres (9 feet) at the top of the peak. It contains a spiral staircase of 379 steps.

It was built over the ruins of the Lal Kot, the citadel of Dhillika. Qutb-ud-din Aibak, a deputy of Muhammad of Ghor, who founded the Delhi Sultanate after Muhammad of Ghor's death, started construction of the Qutb Minar's first storey in 1199. This level has inscriptions praising Muhammad of Ghor. Aibak's successor and son-in-law Shamsuddin Iltutmish completed a further three storeys. After a lightning strike in 1369 damaged the then top storey, the ruler at the time, Firuz Shah Tughlaq, replaced the damaged storey, and added one more. Sher Shah Suri also added an entrance while he was ruling and the Mughal emperor Humayun was in exile.

The Minar is surrounded by several historically significant monuments of the Qutb complex. Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, to the north-east of the Minar was built by Qutub-ud-Din Aibak in A.D. 1198. The mosque complex is one of the earliest that survives in the Indian subcontinent. The Qutb Minar was added to the list of World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. It is one of most visited tourist spots in Delhi.

Qutub Minar History
Delhi’s Qutub Minar is a five-storied structure constructed over four centuries by a number of rulers. It was originally commissioned by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, who was the founder of the Delhi Sultanate, around 1192 as a victory tower. The minaret is named after him; although he wasn’t able to build it beyond the first story. His successor Shams-ud-din Iltutmish added three more floors to the structure in 1220. Its topmost story suffered damages in 1369 due to lightning. It was reconstructed by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, who added the fifth and final story to the tower while the entrance to Qutub Minar was built by Sher Shah Suri.

Around 300 years later, in 1803, the tower again suffered severe damages in an earthquake. Major Robert Smith, a member of the British Indian Army, mended the structure in 1828. He went ahead and installed a pillared cupola to sit atop the fifth story, thus lending the tower its sixth story. But this extra story was removed in 1848 under the orders of Henry Hardinge, the then Governor-General of India, and reinstalled next to the minaret. Entry to the tower has been restricted since 1981 after an accident, which left 47 people inside it dead.

Qutub Minar Height & Architecture
The magnificent Qutub Minar has a height of 73 meters. It has a base diameter of 14.3 meters which narrows down to 2.7 meters at the top. The structure also includes a spiral staircase of 379 steps. There are many other historical edifices around the minaret which, together with the main tower, form the Qutub Minar Complex.

It is widely believed that the tower, which displays early Afghan architectural style, was built taking inspiration from the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan. Each of the five distinct stories of the minaret is adorned with a projecting balcony supported by intricately designed brackets. While the first three stories are built in pale red sandstone, the fourth one is purely made of marble, and the fifth one is a mix of marble and sandstone. The architectural styles from the base to the top also differ, thanks to the many rulers who constructed it part by part.
There are bands of inscriptions on different sections of Qutub Minar that narrate its history. Carved verses adorn the inside of the tower.

Delhi Tourism

Delhi Tourism, for all the right reasons, is the national capital of incredible India. Synonymous with diversity, Delhi tour has always been the epicentre of all activities in India which is reflected in its tourism. Right from the time of Pandavas, it has served as a major strategic and cultural hub of the country and rightly so, today it’s an exhibition of the history of India. Travelling in Delhi isn’t just limited to history but it’s a step to take past and present hand in hand. Blended with modern advancements, Delhi is the modern-day city of Troy. The amalgamation of all religion and spiritual hubs of different faiths coexisting together in peace is the testament of the unity in diversity. Delhi offers numerous tourist attractions ranging from monuments, museums, shrines to modern day markets. Exploring the city is like witnessing a mini-India, with Delhi Tourism being a reflection of rich culture of India.