Qutb Minar, also spelled Qutub or Qutab, is the 2nd tallest minar in India after Fateh
Burj in Chappar Chiri at Mohali which stands 100 meters tall. Qutub Minar originally an
early Islamic Monument inscribed with Arabic inscriptions is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Located in Delhi, the Qutb Minar is made of red sandstone and marble. The stairs of the
tower has 379 steps, is 72.5 metres high, and has a base diameter of 14.3 metres, which
narrows to 2.7 metres at the top. Construction was started in 1192 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak and
was carried on by his successor, Iltutmish. In 1368, Firoz Shah Tughlak constructed the
fifth and the last storey. It is surrounded by several other ancient and medieval structures
and ruins, collectively known as the Qutb complex.
History The Qutb Minar was commissioned by Qutb-ud-din
Aibak, the first Sultan of Delhi, and was completed by his successor - Iltutmish. It
is not known whether the tower was named after Qutb-ud-din Aibak or Qutbuddin Bhaktiyar Kaki,
a famous Sufi saint who was living in Delhi contemporarily. As the name suggests the tower
was to serve the purpose of a minaret from where the adhan could be issued. The culture
of tower architecture was well established in India before the arrival of the Turks as
can be understood from the Kirti Stambh at Chittor, Rajasthan. However, there is no evidence
on record to confirm that the Qutb Minar was inspired or influenced by earlier Rajput towers.
The minar is itself built on the ruins of the Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of
Dhillika, the capital of the Tomars and the Chauhans, the last Hindu rulers of Delhi.
One engraving on the minar reads, "Shri Vishwakarma prasade charita".
Numerous inscriptions in Parso-Arabic and Nagari characters in different sections of
the Qutb Minar reveal the history of its construction. According to the inscriptions on its surface
it was repaired by Firoz Shah Tughlaq and Sikandar Lodi.
The Qubbat-ul-Islam Mosque, located at the northeast of Minar, was built by Qutb deen
Aibak in AD 1198. It is the earliest mosque built by the Delhi Sultans. Later, a coffee
arched screen was erected and the mosque was enlarged by Iltutmish and Alauddin Khilji
The minar has been damaged by earthquakes and lightning strikes on several occasions
but has been repaired and renovated by various rulers. During the rule of Firoz Shah, the
minar's two top floors were damaged due to lightning but were repaired by Firoz Shah.
In 1505, an earthquake struck and it was repaired by Sikandar Lodi. Later in 1794, the minar
suffered another earthquake and it was Major Smith, an engineer, who repaired the affected
parts of the minar. He replaced Firoz Shah's pavilion at the top of the tower with his
own pavilion. This pavilion was removed in 1848 by Lord Hardinge and now stands between
the Dak Bungalow and the Minar in the garden. The floors built by Firoz Shah can be distinguished
easily as the pavilion was built of white marble and quite smooth compared to the others.
Before 1981, the general public could climb to the top up the seven-storey, narrow staircase.
However, on 4 December 1981 an accident occurred when an electricity cut plunged the tower's
staircase into darkness. Around 45 people were killed in the stampede that followed
the electricity failure. Most of the victims were children because, before 1981, school
children were allowed free access to historical monuments on Fridays, and many school groups
were taking advantage of this. Subsequently, public access has been forbidden.
Architecture The minar is made of red sandstone covered
with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an.
The minar comprises several superposed flanged and cylindrical shafts, separated by balconies
carried on Muqarnas corbels. The first three storeys are made of red sandstone;
the fourth and fifth storeys are of marble and sandstone. At the foot of the tower is
the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be built in India.
The nearby 7 metres high Iron Pillar is a metallurgical curiosity, standing in the Qutb
complex. The pillar has Brahmic inscriptions on it that predate the Islamic minar.
The minar tilts just over 60 cm from the vertical, which is considered to be within
safe limits, although experts have stated that monitoring is needed in case rainwater
seepage further weakens the foundation. In media
Bollywood actor and director Dev Anand wanted to shoot the song Dil Ka Bhanwar Kare Pukar
from his movie Tere Ghar Ke Samne inside the minar. However, the cameras in that era were
too big to fit inside the tower's narrow passage, and the song was shot inside a replica of
the tower instead. The site served as the pitstop of the second leg of the second season
of The Amazing Race Australia, the Australian version of the Emmy-winning series The Amazing
Race. This is the first Indian monument to have an E-ticket facility. Qutab Minar is
the closest station on the Delhi Metro. A picture of the minaret is featured on the
Travel Cards issued by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
Gallery
View from Inside A recently launched start-up in collaboration
with Archaeological survey of India has made a 360 degree walk through of Qutub minar available.
See also Mehrauli Archaeological Park
References
External links Media related to Qutb Minar at Wikimedia Commons
Archaeological Survey of India | Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi