Qutab Minar Delhi

Qutub Minar, a monument located in Delhi has the distinction of being the tallest brick minaret in the world. The minaret is a part of the Qutub complex in the region of Mehrauli and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 73-metre tall tower of five stories has a diameter of 14.3 metres at the bottom and reduces to 2.7 metres at the top. The tower has a spiral staircase with 379 steps with balconies on first three floors.

The tower got its first storey in 1192 under the reign of Qutub-Ud-Din-Aibak, the first ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. His successor, Shamsuddin Iltumish completed another three floors in 1220. Firoz Shah Tughlaq replaced the storey damaged by a lightning strike in 1369, and added one more. Sher Shah Suri added an entrance to this tower when he was ruling the region for a brief period.

The Qutub complex houses many more monuments from that era. Ashoka Pillar is a much older structure present in the complex. The pillar is an architectural and scientific marvel as it is made of metal and has seen next to no corrosion over the years, which leaves scientists of today baffled. Quwat-ul-Aslam mosque and Alaudin Khilji’s tomb are the major buildings among many other structural remains that are part of the complex.