Qutb Minar
क़ुतुब मीनार
A 73-metre brick minaret begun in 1193, the tallest brick tower in the world, with the ruins of India's earliest mosque and a 1,600-year-old iron pillar that has never rusted at its base.
Qutb Minar stands in Mehrauli, in south Delhi. Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, began it in 1193 as a victory tower and call-to-prayer tower. His successors later added storeys until it reached five levels and 72.5 metres. Built of red sandstone and marble, its surfaces are carved with Quranic inscriptions and decorative patterns. It is the tallest brick minaret in the world and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. Beside the tower base is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the oldest surviving mosque in India. It was built with columns taken from 27 Hindu and Jain temples, and the defaced figures carved on some of them are still visible. In the courtyard stands a 7.2-metre iron pillar cast during the Gupta dynasty in the 4th century CE. Its resistance to rust for 1,600 years is a puzzle in the history of metallurgy. Nearby are the unfinished foundations of the massive Alai Minar and Alauddin's madrasa. Entry for foreign visitors costs 600 rupees (about 50 yuan) and the site is open 07:00-17:00 (sunrise to sunset). A light show runs in the evenings. Getting there: take the Yellow Line metro to Qutab Minar station, then a cycle rickshaw for about 5 minutes. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours. The nearby Mehrauli Archaeological Park, which is free, has several Sultanate-era tombs and step wells and is worth another hour. Note: climbing inside the tower has been banned since a stampede in 1981. The grounds have many monkeys and squirrels, so do not feed them.
Opening hours
07:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Mehrauli Archaeological Park
- Chhatarpur Temple
- Hauz Khas Complex & Village
- Dilli Haat (INA)
- National Rail Museum
- Safdarjung's Tomb
- Tughlaqabad Fort
- Lodhi Garden