Qutab Minar – A World Heritage Site You Must Visit!

Your vacation deal in Delhi will surely include a trip to the towering historical wonder of Delhi and India, the Qutab Minar, which has earned for itself a place in the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Sites listing. This brick minaret that happens to be tallest of its kind in the world was developed in three periods of Mogul rule. This 72.5 meters high magnificent representation of Muslim architecture got its name from Qutub-ud-din Aibak, who started building it in the 12th century A.D. Later, Iltutmish and then Feroz Shah Tughlaq developed it further.

This minaret stands in the Qutab Complex, Aurabindo Marg in the vicinity of Mehrauli and is about a distance of 14 km from the modern-day Connaught Place. The Qutub complex has other structures of great architectural value. These are the Alai Darwaza, the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the tombs of Iltutmish,Imam Zamin and Alauddin Khalji. The Alai Minar and the Madrasa are its other attractions.

The Qutub minar is 14.3 meters in diameter at its base, 3.8 meters in diameter at the apex and has 399 steps. Energetic enthusiasts would climb all the steps previously but not any more due to safety reasons. The transformation in the styles of architecture across the three periods can be witnessed in varying designs of the different levels. The Qutub Minar bears resemblances to the Ghaznavi and Ghurid minarets of Afghanistan. It has five cylindrical storeys with projected shafts. Each storey has some rare and intricate Mogul architecture and has a balcony along its perimeter. This minaret is another gorgeous manifestation of Red Sandstone like most of the other monuments built during the Mogul period. . It has verses from the holy Quran written on it.

The Qutab Minar was built in honor of Mohammad Ghori after his Rajput conquests in the 12th century. This minaret was started by Qutub-ud-din Aibak as a competition to the Minerat of Jam in Afghanistan.

The Qutub complex is a place that you will simply love visiting and since it is located in Delhi, you will not have to put any extra effort in traveling to this place. You can take a cab from the other places of tourist interest. You can ask your travel agency to arrange for a cheap vacation package for you to take you around Delhi. Make a hotel search online to get a suitable accommodation around Qutub complex.

The Lotus Temple and Humayun’s Tomb are the remaining attractions of Delhi that you should surely visit next.