Urban History

Qutub Minar

Mehrauli, Delhi

Managed byArchaeological Survey of India (ASI)

CategoryUrban History

A 73-metre minaret begun in 1192 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak to mark the start of Muslim rule in Delhi, making it one of the earliest and tallest brick minarets in the world. The surrounding UNESCO World Heritage complex includes the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and the famously rust-resistant Iron Pillar. Successive rulers added storeys over two centuries, giving the tower its distinct tapering, fluted profile. It remains the tallest brick minaret on earth.

Did you know? Qutub Minar's 73-metre tower was struck by lightning and rebuilt multiple times over the centuries, Firoz Shah Tughlaq repaired it after a 14th-century lightning strike destroyed its top storey, replacing it with two new ones in a different style, visible in the tower's changing sandstone bands today.

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