I am back in Delhi with
only 16mi (26km) to go, but there is one more site to explore before the end of
my journey.
A visit to Qutb Minar was a must, if only to admire the 238ft (73m) minaret. It was built by the first ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, a dynasty preceding the Mughals. Construction began in the late 12th century and it was added to, repaired and restored many times by different rulers, over several periods. Earthquakes in 1505 and again in 1803 caused substantial damage to the minaret. When it was renovated in 1828, a pillared cupola was added on the top floor to create an extra storey but 20 years later the Governor General of India had it removed because he thought it looked out of place. The cupola is now situated on the grounds nearby.
Minarets are typical of Islamic architecture and are almost always connected to a mosque. They usually have one or more balconies from where Muslims are called to prayer by a muezzin (a crier). The Minar however, is a stand-alone structure used for the same purposes, although inscriptions on it indicate that it may have also served as a ‘victory tower’.
The monument is five storeys high, separated by balconies with richly carved Quranic inscriptions. The bottom three levels are made of red sandstone and the top two are built from a combination of marble and sandstone. A tapering tower, the base has a diameter of 47ft (14m) and narrows at the top to 9ft (2.75m). Inside is a stairwell consisting of 379 steps.
Next to the Minar is Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid, the first mosque ever built in India and the oldest surviving example of Ghurids architecture, a dynasty of Iranian origin circa 11th century AD. It is said that the columns used to erect the cloisters were accomplished by demolishing 27 Hindu Temples following a direct order from the ruler at the time. Besides the destruction, it proved to be a major problem because repurposing the Hindu columns meant they had to adapt it to Islam’s forbidden use of images in temples. The masons covered the columns with plaster and likely decorated them with geometric patterns. As centuries passed the plaster fell off, revealing the original highly-detailed Hindu carvings.
After a little more meandering around the grounds it was time to complete the Golden Triangle and return to where I started.
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It's so good to see you here . . .