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FACTS
& FIGURES
Built in : 1193
Built by : Qutab-ud-din Aibak, Iltutmush
Location : Delhi
Qutab Minar 
Qutab-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of
Delhi, commenced the construction of the Qutab Minar in 1200 AD, but could only
finish the basement. His successor, Iltutmush, added three more storeys, and in
1368, Firoz Shah Tughlak constructed the fifth and the last storey. The
development of architectural styles from Aibak to Tughlak are quite evident in
the minar. The relief work and even the materials used for construction differ.
The 238 feet Qutab Minar is 47 feet at the base and tapers to nine feet at the
apex. The tower is ornamented by bands of inscriptions and by four projecting
balconies supported by elaborately decorated brackets.
Even in ruin, the Quwwat Ui Islam (Light of Islam) Mosque in the Qutab complex
is one of the most magnificent in the world. Its construction was started by
Qutab-ud-din Aibak in 1193 and the mosque was completed in 1197. additions were
made to the building by Iltutmush in 1230 and Alla-ud-din Khilji in 1315.
 The
main mosque comprises of an inner and outer courtyard, of which the inner is
surrouded by an exquisite collonade, the pillars of which are made of richly
decorated shafts. Most of these shafts are from the 27 Hindu temples which were
plundered to construct the mosque. It is, therefore, not surprising that the
Muslim mosque has typical Hindu ornamentation.
Close to the mosque is one of Delhi's most curious antiques, the Iron Pillar.
Dating back to the 4th century AD, the pillar bears an inscription which stated
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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