Qutb Minar
Qutb Minar
Qutb Minar is a minaret situated in the Mehrauli area in South Delhi, India. The construction of the tower was started more than [how-old-am-i bday=” 1199-01-01 “] years ago in 1199 by a Mughal ruler Qutb-Uddin Aibak. After the death of Aibak in 1210, the construction work is completed by his son in law Shams ud-din Itutmish till 1220. It’s named after the great Sufi saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki in the 13th century. The site is managed by an Indian government agency Archaeological Survey of India.
| Name | Qutb Minar |
| Other names | Qutub Minar, Qutab Minar, Victory tower |
| Origin | c. 1199-1220 |
| Country / Location | Mehrauli, New Delhi, India |
| Known for | Monument, Mughal architectury, The tallest tower built with bricks |
Facts about Qutb Minar
- The minaret is a world’s longest minaret built by bricks (red sandstone) and certified as a world heritage site by UNESCO since 1993. The height of the tower is about 72 meters.
- The tower has a spiral stairway of 379 steps.
- Some sources suggested the design of the tower inspired by Minaret of Jam in western Afghanistan.
- In the era of 1960s, the great Indian actor Dev Anand wanted to film his very popular song in Indian cinema “Dil Ka Bhanwar Kare Pukar” inside the tower but the cameras were too big in size during that time. It couldn’t fit in the constricted passageway of the minaret. Therefore, the production team created the replica of the minaret to shoot the song.
- There is a 360-degree walkthrough of Qutb Minar made by a company with collaboration with ASI.
- After 2000, the tower is generally closed for the public due to suicide cases. In 1981, the lighting of the stairway was failed and approximately 400 to 500 visitors rush to the exit, in this incident around 47 were killed mostly were school children, and many injured. The rules concerning the entry in the minaret have been strict since then.
- There are many other historical monuments in the Qutb complex surrounding the minaret such as Alai Darwaza, Iron pillar of Delhi, etc.
