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| Home » North India Travel » Monuments in North India |
Qutub Minar |
Built to commemorate the first Islamic victory in India, Qutub Minar of Delhi in India is counted among the tallest and famous towers across the world. The other examples of its famous cousins are the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy and the Great Pagoda of Pekin in China that are not quite as tall as the Qutub Minar, which is 72.5 m high. The highest stone tower in India, Qutub Minar is one of the finest specimens of Mughal architecture. Its construction commenced in 1136 by Qutub-ud-din Aibak. Illtutmish, his successor, completed the red sandstone structure. Feroze Shah Tughlaq added the two topmost white marble storeys to it in 1386. Islamic inscriptions all around the tower and beautiful carvings on some of the floors are remarkable.
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From the top storey, one can see fantastic views of the sprawling city of Delhi. One had to climb 399 steps to reach the top, from where you can spot landmarks such as Humayun’s Tomb, Old Fort or Purana Qila, Jama Masjid and Firoz Shah Kotla. However, because of a few accidents in the past, you are not allowed to go beyond two or three floors at present. A world heritage site, Qutub Minar has tilted to one side over the years. Tapering to the top, the bottom of Qutub Minar is 14.3 m wide while the top is just 2.75 m wide. The complex also has a network of escape tunnels and pathways leading up to the Red Fort. |
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