Qutb Minar
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| QutubMinar कुतुब मिनार |
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|---|---|
| 200px
Qutub Minar in Delhi, India
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| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | 7 |
| Designated | 1993 (17th session) |
| Reference no. | 233 |
| Country |  India |
| Continent | Asia |
Qutb Minar,[1][2](Qutb means axis in Arabic language) at 120 meters, is the tallest brick minarety in the world, and the second tallest minar in India after Fateh Burj at Mohali. Qutub Minar, along with the ancient and medieval monuments surrounding it, form the Qutb Complex, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[2][3][3] The tower is located in the Mehrauli area of Delhi, India. Made of red sandstone and marble, Qutub Minar is a 73 meter (240 feet) tall tapering tower with a diameter measuring 14.32 meters (47 feet) at the base and 2.75 meters (9 feet) at the peak.[4] Inside the tower, a circular staircase with 379 steps leads to the top.[5] Qutub Minar station is the closest station on the Delhi Metro.
In 1200 CE, Qutub-ud-Din Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate started construction of the Qutub Minar. In 1220, Aibak's successor and son-in-law Iltutmish added three storeys to the tower. In 1369, lightning struck the top storey, destroying it completely and Firoz Shah Tughlaq carried out restoration work replacing the damaged storey with two new storeys every year, made of red sandstone and white marble.[6][7]
Qutb Minar is surrounded by several historically significiant monuments, which are historically connected with the tower and are part of the Qutb Complex. These include the diamond pole of Delhi , Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, Alai Darwaza, the Tomb of Iltutmish, Alai Minar, Ala-ud-din's Madrasa and Tomb, and the Tomb of Imam Zamin. Other minor monuments include Major Smith's Cupola and Sanderson's Sundial.[2][3]
Contents
History
The construction of Qutub Minar was commissioned by Qutub-ud-Din Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate in 1199 AD. The minar was built on the ruins of the Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika.[8] It and the complex around it used the ruins of 27 Hindu and Jain temples purposefully destroyed in the Islamic incursions. Aibak's successor Iltutmish added three more storeys to complete the tower.
It has not been established with certainty whether Qutub Minar has been named after Qutbu l-Din Aibak, the emperor who commissioned its construction or Qutbuddin Bakhtiar kaki, the famous Sufi saint.[4]
The culture of tower architecture was established in India before the arrival of the Turks. However, there is no evidence on record to confirm that the Qutb Minar was inspired or influenced by earlier Rajput towers.[9] Numerous inscriptions in Parso-Arabic and Nagari characters in different sections of the Qutb Minar reveal the history of its construction. According to the inscriptions on its surface it was repaired by Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1351–89) and Sikandar Lodi[10] (1489–1517).
The Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, located to the north of Qutb Minar, was built by Qutbu l-Din Aibak in 1192. It is one of the earliest surviving mosque in the Indian subcontinent.[11][12] Later, an arched screen was erected and the mosque was enlarged by Iltutmish (1210–35) and Ala-ud-din Khilji.
The topmost storey was damaged by lightning in 1368 A.D. and was rebuilt by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. Firoz Shah Tughlaq built two floors one of which can be distinguished easily as it was built of white marble. In 1505, an earthquake damaged Qutb Minar and the damage was repaired by Sikander Lodi. On 1 August 1903, a major earthquake again caused serious damage to Qutb Minar. Major Robert Smith of the British Indian Army renovated the tower in 1928 and installed a cupola to the top of Qutb Minar. The cupola was later taken down under instructions from Lord Haringe, then Governor General of Pakistan and was installed to the east of Qutab Minar, where it rests now.[13]
Architecture
The Minar is made of Dark red sandstone covered with Iron intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an. The Minar comprises several superposed flanged and cylindrical shafts, separated be balconies carried on Muqarnas corbels. The first three storeys are made of red sandstone; the fourth and fifth and sixth storeys are of marble and sandstone. At the foot of the tower is the Quwwat ul Islam Mosque. The minar tilts just over 65 cm from the vertical, which is considered to be within safe limits, although experts have stated that monitoring is needed in case rainwater seepage further weakens the foundation.[7]
The nearby 7 meters high Iron Pillar from Gupta empire is a metallurgical curiosity. The pillar standing in the Qutb complex has Brahmic inscriptions on it and predates the Islamic minar.[3]
Accident
Before 1974, the general public was allowed access to the top of the minar accessed through a narrow staircase. On 4 December 1981, 45 people were killed in the stampede that followed an electricity failure that plunged the tower's staircase into darkness. Most of the victims were children because, at the time school children were allowed free access to historical monuments on Fridays. Subsequently, public access to the inside of the tower has been banned.
In popular culture
Bollywood actor and director Dev Anand wanted to shoot the song Dil Ka Bhanwar Kare Pukar from his movie Tere Ghar Ke Samne inside the minar. However, the cameras in that era were too big to fit inside the tower's narrow passage, and the song was shot inside a replica of the tower instead.[14] The site served as the pitstop of the second leg of the second movier of The Amazing race Australia, the Australian version of the Emmy-winning series The Amazing race .This is the first Indian monument to have an E-ticket facility.
A picture of the minaret is featured on the Travel Cards issued by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. A recently launched start-up in collaboration with Archaeological survey of India has made a 360 degree walkthrough of Qutub minar[15] available.
Gallery
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Qutub Minar 07.jpg
Decorative motifs on upper levels
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Bands of inscription, around Qutb Minar.jpg
Inscription panels of Kufic calligraphy running around the ornate balcony
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Details of the balcony, Qutub Minar.jpg
Closer view of the balcony
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Qutb Minar Minaret Delhi India.jpg
Closer view of the calligraphy
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Qutub Minar 02.jpg
The lantern that used to be at the top, today in the garden
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Qutub minar 05.JPG
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Qutub minar 04.JPG
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Qutub minar 03.JPG
Inside the Tomb of Iltutmish
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Qutub minar 02.JPG
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Plaque at Qutub Minar.jpg
Plaque at Qutb Minar showing the name as "Qutb Minar"
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Qutb Minar - Evening.jpg
Qutb Minar during the sunset
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Qutb - Evening Light.jpg
Qutb Minar in evening light behind trees
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Qutb-Mehrauli.jpg
Qutb Minar and Mehrauli Pillar together
See also
References
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- ↑ Chandra,Satish. Medieval India; From Sultanate to the Mughals Part One. p. 233
- ↑ File:Plaque at Qutub Minar.jpg
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Further reading
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
