What are the historical facts of Qutub Minar ?

The climate is pleasing and it is the tourism season of the country. This is the best time to visit the monument.

7am to 5pm, daily

The most affordable way to get to the Qutub Minar is to take the Metro to Qutub Minar station. From there, it’s about a 1 km walk north to the attraction. Alternatively, you can hire a taxi to the site or a private car for the day which is a more comfortable and convenient way to travel; however, apart from being expensive, peak time traffic can cause delays along the way.

Qutub Minar is one of the prime attractions amongst all the historical monuments of India. Situated in the Qutub complex at Mehrauli in South Delhi, it is one of the finest examples of Indo Islamic architecture. With regard to the name of the tower, historians have conflicting views.

Many historians believe that it was named after Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of India while the others contend that it was named in honor of Khwaja Qutb-ud-din Bakhtiar Kaki, a saint from Baghdad, who was highly venerated by Iltutmish.

Qutb Minar is 120 metre tall, making it the tallest brick minaret in the world! Along with several other monuments on its periphery, the whole thing is called Qutb Complex.

Qutub Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world.

There are 379 stairs inside the tower, which lead to the top.

Surrounded by Historical Monuments
The Qutb Minar is surrounded by several great historical monuments and all of them together are referred to as “Qutb Complex”. The complex therefore includes: Iron Pillar of Delhi, Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, Alai Darwaza, the Tomb of Iltutmish, Alai Minar, Ala-ud-din’s Madrasa and Tomb, the Tomb of Imam Zamin, Major Smith’s Cupola and Sanderson’s Sundial.

Qutub Minar is made up of red and buff sandstone, containing intricate carvings and verses from the Holy Quran.

This masterpiece of Mughal architecture is not exactly erect and is slightly tilted towards one side. This is due to the many additions and renovations that were made on the tower over the years.

Genesis
The construction of the minar was led by Qutb-ud-din-Aibak, the founder of Delhi Sultanate in 1199. It was built on the Lal Kot or Red Citadel in Delhi

The structure of Qutub Minar is built in such a way that, the tower is widest at the bottom and narrows all the way to the top.

Name Confusion
It has not been established whether Qutb Minar has been named after Qutb al-Din Aibak, the emperor or Qutubuddin Bakhtiar kaki, the famous Sufi saint.

The construction of the monument was made from the sculptured stones of several Hindu temples. This is evident from the Devanagari engravings on the many stone surfaces of the monument.

Top Floors
The top floor of the minar was destructed by the lightning and rebuilt by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. These floors are quite distinguishable from the rest of the minar as they are made up of white marble.

Stampede
Before 1974, the general public was allowed to access the top of the minar accessed. On December 4 1981, 45 people were killed in a stampede that followed an electricity failure that plunged the tower’s staircase into darkness. Consequently, public access to the inside of the tower has been banned.

In Culture
Bollywood actor and director Dev Anand wanted to shoot the song “Dil Ka Bhanwar Kare Pukar” but the cameras were too big to fit inside the tower’s narrow passage, and the song was shot inside a replica of the tower instead.

Qutb Minar has a Decorative Light Show every evening. The Qutb Minar Festival in October/November shows the cultural art forms of the country with a back drop of this exquisite minaret.

Qutub Minar, the 2nd largest Minar of India also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Interestingly, it is often compared to Leaning Minar of Pisa due to its structure! Made out of Red Sandstone as well as Marble; it’s a unique place to in. Located in Old Delhi, it’s 72.5 meters in height and has a base diameter of 14.3 meters.

Inside the tower there are a total of 379 steps (which are now closed to visitors as well as general public), which reach the top of the tower. The Top storey of the Minaret was reconstructed by Sikander Lodi, made of Marble.

If one looks at it closely, one can see numerous inscriptions Parso – Arabic and Nagri characters in various sections of Qutub Minar. These inscriptions rattle out the history behind this Minaret, how it was thought of it be constructed, the reason behind its construction and when – when repairs were done.

Qutub Minar was ordered to be made by Qutubdinn Aibak - the first Muslim Ruler of Delhi. However, it was completed by his successor – Illtumish. Basically meant for listening Adhan, it says a lot about the Mughal architectural design and architecture

With Inscriptions from Quran, it has got a number of cylindrical shafts which are separated by balconies. The monument has its first three storeys made of red sandstone, 4th is and 5th of marble and sandstone. At the foot of Qutub Minar is a Mosque which is quite interesting in itself

It also speaks about the Mughal influence in Indian Culture which was prominent at that time period. For those interested in Architecture and Indian History, a visit to this place can be an eye opener.