Qutab Minar is a soaring, 73 m-high
tower of victory, built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately
after the defeat of Delhi's last Hindu kingdom. The tower has five
distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony and tapers from
a 15 m diameter at the base to just 2.5 m at the top.
The first three storeys are made of red sandstone; the fourth and
fifth storeys are of marble and sandstone. At the foot of the tower
is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be built in India.
The origins of Qutab Minar are shrouded in controversy. Some believe
it was erected as a tower of victory to signify the beginning of the
Muslim rule in India. Others say it served as a minaret to the muezzins
to call the faithful to prayer.
The development of architectural styles from Aibak to Tughlak is quite
evident in the minar. The relief work and even the materials used
for construction differ. The 238 feet Qutab Minar is 47 feet at the
base and tapers to nine feet at the apex.
Iltutmush in 1230 and Alla-ud-din Khilji in 1315 made additions to
the building. The main mosque comprises of an inner and outer courtyard,
of which an exquisite colonnade, the pillars of which are made of
richly, surrounds the inner decorated shafts.