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Qutub Minar
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Qutub Minar Description : |
 The origins of Qutub Minar are shrouded in controversy. Some believe
that it was built as a tower of victory to signify the beginning of
the Muslim rule in India. Others say it served as a minaret to the
adjoining mosque and was used by the muezzins to call the faithful to
prayer. However, no one disputes that the tower is not only one of the
finest monuments in India, but also in the world.
Qutab-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, commenced the
construction of the Qutub Minar in A.D. 1193, but could only complete
its basement. His successor, Iltutmush, added three more stories, and
in 1368, Firoz Shah Tuglak constructed the fifth and the last storey.
The development of architectural styles from Aibak to Tuglak are quate
evident in the minar. The relief work and even the materials used for
construction differ. The 238 feet high Qutub Minar is 47 feet at the
base and tapers to 9 feet at the apex. The tower is ornamented by
bands of inscriptions and by four projecting balconies supported by
elaborately decorated brackets. Even in its ruin, the
QUWWAT-UL-ISLAM (Light of Islam) MOSQUE in the Qutub complex is one of
the most magnificent in the world.
The main mosque comprises an inner and outer courtyard, of which the
inner one is surrounded by an exquisite colonnade, the pillars of
which the inner one is surrounded by an exquisite colonnade, the
pillars of which are made of richly decorated shafts. Most of these
shafts are from the 27 Hindus temples which were plundered to
construct the mosque. Close to the mosque is one of Delhi's most
curious structures the Iron Pillar. Dating back to 4th century A.D.,
the pillar bears an inscription which states that it was erected as a
flagstaff in honour of the Hindu god, Vishnu, and in the memory of the
Gupta King Chandragupta II (375-413). How the pillar moved to its
present location remains a mystery. The pillar also highlights ancient
India's achievements in metallurgy. The pillar is made of 98 per cent
wrought iron and has stood 1,600 years without rusting or decomposing. |
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