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| The 'minar' at a distance |
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| Inscriptions on the minaret |
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| Are'nt we short ? |
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| The rustless iron pillar! |
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| Standing tall..... |
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| Amidst the ruins in the complex |
Our next stop was the Qutb complex, in Delhi, which houses the famous Iron pillar and the Qutb Minar.
Here are some facts about Qutb Minar:
a) World’s tallest independent standing stone tower at a height of 72.5 metres.
b) Was the tallest skscaper in the world, when it was built between 1193-1368 AD.
c) The minaret is made of fluted red sandstone covered with delicate carvings and verses from the Quran.
d) The fluted form tapers from base to the top. This produces and illusion of greater height than it is.
e) The word minar in in Arabic means a pole or axis.
f) Also known as the five storeyed victory tower.
g) It comprises of 379 stairs. Currently, the public are not allowed to climb this tower.
h) The diameter of the base is 14.3 metres and the top is 2.7 metres.
i) It is surrounded by several other ancient structures and ruins including the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, collectively known as Qutub complex.
j) It was built on the ruins of Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika – the former capital of the Tomars and Chauhans (who were the last Hindu rulers of Delhi)
k) 27 Hindu and Jain temples were destroyed and the building materials were reused to construct this complex This is listed in a Persian inscription on the inner eastern gateway.
l) The Qutb complex is listed as one of the UNESCO heritage sites.
