Qutb Minar complex

Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Qutub Minar
LocationMehrauli, India
CriteriaCultural: v
Reference233
Inscription1993 (17th Session)
Coordinates28°31′28″N 77°11′08″E / 28.524382°N 77.185430°E / 28.524382; 77.185430
Qutb Minar complex is located in Delhi
Qutb Minar complex
Location of Qutb Minar complex in Delhi
Qutb Minar complex is located in India
Qutb Minar complex
Qutb Minar complex (India)

The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India.[1] Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, was begun by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, who later became the first Sultan of Delhi of the Mamluk dynasty (Gulam Vansh). It was continued by his successor Iltutmish (a.k.a. Altamash), and finally completed much later by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, a Sultan of Delhi from the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1412) in 1368 AD. The Qubbat-ul-Islam Mosque (Dome of Islam), later corrupted into Quwwat-ul Islam,[2] stands next to the Qutb Minar.[3][4][5][6]

Many subsequent rulers, including the Tughlaqs, Alauddin Khalji and the British added structures to the complex.[7] Apart from the Qutb Minar and the Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque, other structures in the complex include the Alai Darwaza gate, the Alai Minar and the Iron pillar. Inside the complex lie the tombs of Iltutmish, Alauddin Khalji and Imam Zamin.[4]

Today, the adjoining area spread over with a host of old monuments, including Balban's tomb, has been developed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, and INTACH has restored some 40 monuments in the Park.[8] It is also the venue of the annual 'Qutub Festival', held in November–December, where artists, musicians and dancers perform over three days.[9]

  1. ^ Chandra, Satish (2003). History of architecture and ancient building materials in India. Tech Books International. p. 107. ISBN 8188305030..
  2. ^ Patel, A (2004). "Toward Alternative Receptions of Ghurid Architecture in North India (Late Twelfth-Early Thirteenth Century CE)". Archives of Asian Art. 54: 59. doi:10.1484/aaa.2004.0004.
  3. ^ Javeed, Tabassum (2008). World Heritage Monuments and Related Edifices in India. Algora Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87586-482-2. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  4. ^ a b Qutub Minar; Qutub Minar Government of India website.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference World Heritage Monuments was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Epigraphia Indo Moslemica, 1911–12, p. 13.
  7. ^ Page, J. A. (1926) "An Historical Memoir on the Qutb, Delhi" Memoirs of the Archaeological Society of India 22: OCLC 5433409; republished (1970) Lakshmi Book Store, New Delhi, OCLC 202340
  8. ^ "Discover new treasures around Qutab". The Hindu. 28 March 2006. Archived from the original on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2009..
  9. ^ "Another wonder revealed: Qutub Minar draws most tourists, Taj a distant second". Indian Express. 25 July 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2009.