The Qutub Minar in Delhi, also known as the Qutb Minar and the Qutub Minar, is a towering monument that never ceases to enchant tourists. So why not? After all, it's not every day that you stumble across an architectural marvel that claims to be the world's highest brick tower and has been for almost 800 years.
It was built in the 12th century by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has a base diameter of 14.32 m, a top diameter of 2.75 m, and a height of 72.5 m. The tower is constructed of red sandstone and marble and has five separate levels, each distinguished by a protruding balcony. The Qutub Minar's first three stories are composed of red sandstone, while the latter two are made of marble and sandstone.
The tower, which is embellished with exquisite carvings and Arabic inscriptions, is regarded as one of the most significant instances of Indo-Islamic architecture.
Qitub-ud-Din Aibak only built the basement. The tower's construction was later taken over by his successor Iltutmish, who added three additional levels. Firoz Shah Tuglak finished the last two stories. The Qutub Minar beautifully displays the many architectural styles from Aibak to Tuglak.
Aside from the tower, the Qutub Minar complex includes the Quwwat-us-Islam Mosque (India's earliest mosque), a 7-metre-high iron pillar, the tomb of Iltutmish, Ala'i-Darwaza, and the Ala'I Minar.