Footsteps - Jotaro's Travels: Sites : Qutb Minar

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Sites : Qutb Minar - Delhi, India

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Footsteps - Jotaro's Travels

Qutb Minar

New Delhi, India ( A UNESCO Heritage Site) - 9th February,2013

The Qutb Minar (or sometimes called the Qutub Minar or Kutab Minar) standing at 72.5 meters tall is an imposing structure. Standing next to it, one is awed my it's magnificence, considering that it was built close to a thousand years ago.
I had the privilege to visit it during a holiday trip to India (see India 2013 : Day 1)

The Qutb Minar stands at 72.5 meters, that's more than 20 stories high, with a base diameter of 14.3 meters tapering to 2.7 meters at the top most. And it's built (almost more than 800 years ago in 1192) entirely of stone - red sandstone and some marble.
In comparison are the following great structures :
- The Pyramids of Giza : 146.5 meters tall and more than 4,000 years old.
- The Leaning Tower of Pisa : 56 meter high, 4.09 meters base diameter and built in 1172.
- The Eiffel Tower of Paris : 325 meters high, base dimensions 125 meters X 125 meters. Built in
- The Porcelain Tower of Nanking : 79 meters high with base dimension of 30 meters and built in the early 15th century, i.e. around 600 years old.

It is built almost entirely of red fluted sandsotne, the upper two levels are built with marble and the top dome was added on later.

They are four levels of intricately carved corbels and at least six bands of Quran verses inscribed onto sandstone of a darker tone.

Intricate Quran inscriptions at the lower level, just above the entrance door.
The tower was previously opened to the public to climb to the top, but is now closed since a 1981 stampede incident that resulted in 20 deaths.

Detailed carved corbels at the lower ring.

The top two levels are constructed of marble and with sandstone corbels & inlays.

The entrance to the complex is through a gateway arch.

Just after the entrance, are two stone tablets that give a brief history of the place. This is the first one.

The second tablet that lays out the history of the place.

A third table describes location of various other monuments with the complex.

Map of the Qutb Minar Complex.
Qutb Minar lies within a park complex that has several other archealogical buildings, like old mosques, tombs and an uncompleted sister tower called the Alai Minar.

From here, looking to the left the Qutb Minar can bee seen towering majestically above all the other buildings.

Slightly in front, and to the left, the Qutub Canope can be seen sitting on a small gareden.

Over here can also be seen a old sundial.

Near the base of the Qutb Minar tower is a tablet giving the history of the construction of the tower and details of its structure.

To the right of the tower is the Iron Pillar, so called because it is made from iron. But it's origin is unclear but it's age is estimated to be older than the Qutub Minar. The unique thing about it is that it does not rust.