Delhi - Qutb Mina

First visit : July 2009

Qutub Minar is the pride of Delhi. The tall 240 feet minaret was constructed in 1192 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak, and later was completed by his successor Iltutmish. The soaring conical tower is an exquisite example of Indo-Islamic Afghan architecture. 820 years old Qutub Minar is a World Heritage Site and has survived the ravages of time, including an earthquakes quite impressively. The Minar of Delhi is surrounded by a lush green garden, which is an ideal leisure place for visitors. Qutab Minar is the favourite destination of tourists. It is India's most visited monument attracting around 3.9 million visitors every year.

I'm a huge fan of Ibn Battuta since ages. Ibn Battuta was the only medieval traveller who is known to have visited the lands of every Muslim ruler of his time. He also travelled in India, Sri Lanka, China, Byzantium and South Russia. The mere extent of his travels is estimated at no less than 75,000 miles. I've been searching for copy of his translated journal in English when I get to know and started reading books written by Tim Mckintosh-Smith (I bet he too is so craze with Battuta). I read and possessed 3 of Tim's books written in 2002 "Travels with a Tangerine: A Journey in the Footnotes of Ibn Battutah", 2003 "The Travels of Ibn Battutah" and 2005 "Hall of a Thousand Columns: Hindustan to Malabar with Ibn Battutah".

Intricate stone carvings on the cloister columns at Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque, Qutb complex

Walking within the Qutub Mina compound, especially through the cloister columns of Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque, I can felt the presence of Ibn Battuta as he was here in the 14th century. Ibn Battuta arrived in Delhi in 1333 by invitation from Sultan Muhammad Shah ibn Tughlug where he worked in the Sultan palace within Siri Fort (please check my next entry) for 7 years. He was in Thousand Column Hall in Summer of 1334. In his journal, he commented that the Qutb Minar was "without equal in the lands of Islam". His later statement made Tim Mckintosh travelled to India in 2004 to investigate the adventure of Battuta and wrote the 2005 book "it's staircase is wide enough for elephant to ascend. A reliable informant told me that when it was renovated he saw an elephant climbing to the top with stones". Before 1981, the general public could climb to the top of Qutub Minar by climbing up the seven-storey, narrow staircase. However, on 4 December 1981 an accident occurred when an electricity cut plunged the tower's staircase into darkness. Around 45 people were killed in the stampede that followed the electricity failure. Most of the victims were children. Subsequently, public access has been forbidden. I had no doubt that Ibn Battuta, had walk up the 360 stairs to reach the top. I did not had my chance.

Another view of Qutb Minar, with a Jain temple reused pillar in view

Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque (Might of Islam) (also known as the Qutub Mosque or the Great Mosque of Delhi) was built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, founder of the Mamluk or Slave dynasty. It was the first mosque built in Delhi after the Islamic conquest of India and the oldest surviving example of Ghurids architecture in Indian subcontinent. The construction of this Jami Masjid (Friday Mosque), started in the year 1193 AD, when Aibak was the commander of Muhammad Ghori's battalion that occupied Delhi. The Qutub Minar was built simultaneously with the mosque but appears to be a stand alone structure, built as the 'Minar of Jami Masjid', for the muezzin to perform azan, call for prayer, and also as a qutub, an Axis or Pole of Islam. It is reminiscent in style and design of the Adhai-din-ka Jhonpra or Ajmer mosque at Ajmer, Rajasthan, also built by Aibak during the same time, also constructed by demolishing earlier temples and a Sanskrit school, at the site. Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque started in 1193 CE by Qutbuddin to mark his victory over Rajputs.

Photos from here onwards are collection from my second visit in December 2011.

Before exploring the main complex, we started at Alai Darwaza, which is the main gateway from southern side of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque. It was built by the second Khilji Sultan of Delhi, Ala-ud-din Khilji in 1311 AD, who also added a court to the pillared to the eastern side. The domed gateway is decorated with red sandstone and inlaid white marble decorations, inscriptions in Naskh script, latticed stone screens and showcases the remarkable craftsmanship of the Turkic artisans who worked on it. This is the first building in India to employ Islamic architecture principles in its construction and ornamentation.

In below photo is the tomb of Imam Zamim, located just outside the main complex, next to the Alai Darzawa. This tomb is octagonal in shape and has been built to honor a Turkestani iman. The Imam who is regarded as an Islam preacher was based in the mosque of this complex during the sovereignty of Sikandar Lodi.

Beautiful Quranic verses crafted on Alai Darwaza wall.

The Qutub Minar comprises several superposed flanged and cylindrical shafts, separated by balconies carried on Muqarnas (Persian) corbels. The Qutub Minar is itself built on the ruins of the Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika, the capital of the Tomars and the Chauhans of the last Hindu rulers of Delhi. The Qutub Minar was used as a watch tower. Some historians believe that the Qutub Minar was named after the first Turkic sultan, Qutub-ud-din Aibak, but others contend that it was named in honour of Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, a saint from Transoxiana who came to live in India and was venerated by Iltutmish.

The Qutub Minar is made of fluted red sandstone covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an. Numerous inscriptions in Parso-Arabic and Nagari characters in different sections of the Qutub Minar reveal the history of Qutb.

The mosque has its own staff quarters and administrative building as can be seen from below 2 photos. There's kitchen and staff quarters serving its residence. Now, a ruin place.

The Tomb of Shams al-Din Iltutmish was built in 1235 (below 2 photos) is located in the northwest corner of the Qutb complex next to Iltutmish's own extensions to the Qutb Mosque.  The sandstone structure is square, measuring 9.1 meters along each side, with a height of 8.41 m to the base of the dome. It was constructed of new material, not making use of the spolia (from the Hindu Temple) used in other buildings in the Qutb complex. It has three entrances, on the north, east, and south elevations. The western wall, facing Mecca, houses the mihrab as the central niche of three. The upper chamber, now open to the sky, contains the richly decorated marble cenotaph. Steps on the northern side leading down to the burial chamber below.

Alauddin Khilji started building the Alai Minar (below photo), after he had doubled the size of Quwwat ul-Islam mosque. He conceived this tower to be two times higher than Qutb Minar in proportion with the enlarged mosque. The construction was however abandoned, just after the completion of the 24.5-metre-high (80 ft) first-storey core, soon after death of Ala-ud-din in 1316, and never taken up by his successors of Khilji dynasty. The first storey of the Alai Minar, a giant rubble masonry core, still stands today, which was evidently intended to be covered with dressed stone later on.

At this point, where we have completed a full circle tour, the boys were more than happy to leave. They said "let's go mama, It's time we headed to Sarket Mall". I recorded their expression in below photo. 

The last look at the exit gate.