Qutub Minar: A Guide to Delhi’s Iconic Monument

Qutub Minar: Guide to UNESCO World Heritage Site in Delhi

Qutub Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Delhi, India, is the tallest brick minaret in the world, reaching 239 feet towards the sky. Qutub Minar is known for the Iron Pillar of Delhi, a 6-tonne iron pillar that stands within the complex.

The complex also houses the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the first mosque built in Delhi after the Islamic conquest, blending Islamic and Hindu architectural styles. The minaret is also known for its spiral staircase of 379 steps, leading to the topmost balcony, offering panoramic views of the surrounding area. Built-in the early 13th century, Qutub Minar is a symbol of the rich history and cultural heritage of India.

What is Qutub Minar?

- Qutub Minar was constructed by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate, in 1199 CE, to commemorate his victory over the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi.

- The construction was continued by his successors Iltutmish and Firoz Shah Tughlaq, who added more storeys and balconies to it.

- The tower stands at a height of 72.5 meters (237 feet) with a base diameter of 14.3 meters (47 feet). It comprises five storeys and has 379 steps leading to the top. Various inscriptions in Arabic and Persian on the tower record its history and builders.

- Qutub Minar has witnessed numerous events and changes in Delhi's history. Legends and stories surround it, such as the belief that encircling the iron pillar in the complex with one's arms while standing with the back to it can make a wish come true.

- The tower has been a subject of theories and controversies. Some historians view it as a minaret for the nearby Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, while others argue it was a victory tower or a sundial. Some suggest it was inspired by the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan or the Tower of Pisa in Italy.

Entry Fees and Timings for Qutub Minar

Entry Fee:

- For Indian citizens and visitors from SAARC countries: ₹40 per person.

- For foreign nationals: ₹600 per person.

- Children up to 15 years of age have free entry.

Timings:

- Qutub Minar is open for visitors from Tuesday to Sunday.

- The timings are from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Must-See Attractions In Qutub Minar

The Qutub complex is a sprawling area that houses many historical and cultural monuments.

Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque: This is one of the oldest and largest mosques in India, built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1193 CE.The mosque has a large courtyard, a prayer hall, and several columns and arches that display Hindu and Islamic motifs.

Alai Darwaza:This is a magnificent gateway that was built by Alauddin Khilji in 1311 CE. It marks the entrance to the Qutub complex and showcases the Turkish style of architecture. It has a domed roof, a pointed arch, and intricate carvings and inscriptions.

Iron Pillar of Chandragupta II: This 7-meter-high pillar stands testament to the skill of ancient Indian blacksmiths due to its resistance to corrosion. The pillar bears an inscription stating it was erected in honor of the Hindu god, Vishnu, and in the memory of the Gupta King Chandragupta II (375–415 CE)

Alai Minar: This is an unfinished tower that was intended to be twice as high as Qutub Minar. It was started by Alauddin Khilji in 1311 CE but was abandoned after his death in 1316 CE. Only the base of the tower remains, which is 24.5 meters (80 feet) in diameter.

Tomb of Adham Khan: This is a octagonal tomb that was built by Akbar, a Mughal emperor, in 1561 CE. It is dedicated to Adham Khan, a general and a foster brother of Akbar, who was killed by him for murdering another general.

Tomb of Iltutmish: Built in 1235, this is the final resting place of Shams-ud-din Iltutmish, the third ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. The tomb is known for its intricate carvings and inscriptions.

Tomb of Imam Zamin: Adjacent to the Alai Darwaza, this sandstone tomb houses the remains of Imam Muhammad Ali, also known as Imam Zamin, a cleric from Turkestan who settled in India during the 14th century.

Madrasa and Alauddin Khilji’s tomb: The madrasa, an Islamic seminary, was built by Khilji alongside his tomb. It reflects the educational and cultural aspects of the site and offers insight into the Islamic education system of the time.

Must Read: Enjoy Delhi with these best things to do in Delhi

Architecture of Qutub Minar

- Qutub Minar features a tapering cylindrical shape made of red sandstone and marble, showcasing different architectural styles on each storey.

- The first three storeys exhibit Islamic influence with fluted columns and pointed arches, while the fourth and fifth storeys reflect Hindu influence with plain walls and circular motifs.

- The architecture of Qutub Minar demonstrates the artistic and technical skills of its builders and craftsmen, featuring intricate carvings depicting floral designs, geometric shapes, and Quranic verses.

- While Qutub Minar's architecture is unique and impressive, it is not the only tower of its kind. Other notable towers include:

Eiffel Tower: A wrought iron lattice tower in Paris, France, built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 World's Fair. It stands 324 meters (1,063 feet) high and is a symbol of romance.

Leaning Tower of Pisa: A freestanding bell tower in Pisa, Italy, built between the 12th and 14th centuries. It stands 55.86 meters (183.27 feet) high and is known for its 3.97-degree tilt caused by an unstable foundation.

Burj Khalifa: A skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, built by Emaar Properties in 2010. It stands 828 meters (2,717 feet) high with 163 floors, making it the tallest building in the world and a symbol of innovation.

Best Places To Stay Near Qutub Minar

Photo of Qutub Minar 5/9 by — (c) JW Marriot Aerocity

Sheraton New Delhi Hotel: This is a 5-star hotel located 7.9 km from Qutub Minar. It offers spacious and elegant rooms with modern amenities and city views. It also has a fitness center, a spa, an outdoor pool, and three restaurants.

JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity: This is another 5-star hotel located 8.5 km from Qutub Minar. It offers luxurious and stylish rooms with air conditioning, minibars, and flat-screen TVs. It also has a 24-hour fitness center, a spa, an outdoor pool, and six dining options.

Udman Hotels and Resorts by Ferns N Petals: This is a 4-star resort located 7 km from Qutub Minar. It offers cozy and comfortable rooms with garden views and free wifi. It also has a banquet hall, a terrace, a lawn, and a restaurant.

Places To Visit After Qutub Minar

National Museum, New Delhi: The National Museum in New Delhi is one of India’s largest museums. The museum’s key holdings include the Dancing Girl sculpture, a carved ivory tusk depicting Buddha’s life stories, and a significant jade collection.

Lotus Temple: The Lotus Temple, also known as the Bahá’í House of Worship, is notable for its flowerlike shape and has won numerous architectural awards. Opened to the public in December 1986, it is constructed of 27 free-standing marble-clad “petals” arranged in clusters to form nine sides.

Humayun’s Tomb: Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun and was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent and inspired several major architectural innovations, leading to the construction of the Taj Mahal.

Mehrauli Archaeological Park: Spread over 200 acres, Mehrauli Archaeological Park is adjacent to the Qutub Minar World Heritage site. It contains over 100 historically significant monuments, including the ruins of Lal Kot, the oldest extant fort of Delhi.

Jagannath Temple: Located in Hauz Khas, this modern temple is built by the Odia community of Delhi and is dedicated to the Hindu God Jagannath. It is renowned for its annual Rathyatra festival, which attracts thousands of devotees.

Garden of Five Senses: A 20-acre park located in Said-Ul-Ajaib village, close to the historic area of Mehrauli. It’s designed to stimulate the five senses with its natural beauty, artworks, and sculptures. The park also hosts various events, including an annual flower show.

Plan a complete Delhi Tour Package and enjoy the best of capital city

Guided Tours In Qutub Minar

Yes, there are guided tours available for Qutub Minar.

- Tourio offers an audio guide for Qutub Minar, which can be downloaded for a fee of INR 100. The guide is GPS-enabled and provides relevant facts about the monument as you explore it.

- GetYourGuide offers tours and activities for Qutub Minar, including guided tours like the "Delhi: Old and New Delhi Guided Full or Half-Day Tour" starting from INR 2,230

Best Time To Visit Qutub Minar

The best times to visit Qutub Minar are during the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds and the heat.

Visiting on weekdays rather than weekends can help you enjoy a more peaceful experience.

The months of October to March, during the winter season, are generally considered the best time to visit Delhi.

How To Reach Qutub Minar?

Metro: Nearest station is Qutub Minar (Yellow Line), fare around ₹50-60.

Bus: Several routes available, fares vary.

Auto-rickshaw/Taxi: Easily available, auto fare from ₹30.

Car: Well-connected by roads, parking available, fuel and parking charges apply.

Tourist Bus: Many operators offer tours including Qutub Minar, prices vary.

Qutub Minar Reviews

Pooja Joshi

133 Followers

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Last year i made it a point to revisit and revive all old memories of Delhi and started with Qurab Minar this time. One of the famous monument of Delhi and indeed one of the beautiful one. An epitome of mughal might and dominance along with the traces of old age indian history and is a UNESCO world heritage. Once you enter the gates, you will see beautiful garden on right side and a mosque on left. A way will lead you to the area where can find yourself in front of “Qutab Minar” with a compound in front of it. You will see people clicking pictures in thousand postures. The compound will lead to 3 different ways: 1) Ashok Stambh (Iron Pillar) on the right hand side of qutab minar holds special important as it was constructed by King Chandra (Changragupta period). It is famous for the rust resistant composition of the metals used in its construction. It’s height is 23ft approx and standing tall since ages holding the history of India. 2) Garden on left side which has a variety of flowers and area where you can sit and watch the sun set. 3) Alai Minar: if you go straight you can see Alai Minar and it is said to be the incomplete tower of victory. It was the vanity project of Alauddin Khilji as the project was abandoned soon after the completion of first story only. You can also see three islamic graves there with inscriptios. You can reach here by bus/ metro/ car. Timings are 8am to 6pm Ticket cost INR 25 for Indians and INR 550 for foreign tourists (p.s. you can book online through yatra.com as well) Nearest metro station: Qutab minar metro station Food: The place is surrounded by many good restaurants and eating places from where you can have a view of the qutab and spend a wonderful evening. See some of my clicks capturing Qutab Minar from different angels. ( Insta Handle @randominspiration_pj)

Dishant Bhatia

364 Followers

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Qutub Minar, one of the three World Heritage Sites of the city. Memory of my last visit to the monument was so empowering that I couldn’t feel any charm of going there again. But to ‘study its role at urban level’ was the task given to us. The weekend rush, scorching heat, and limited time, all these factors made it a dull study. The only thing I could relate to my ‘love affair’ was the ‘ruined’ part of the complex. “It’s like a precious wound… like a heartbreak you won’t let go of because it hurts too good…” “We settle for living in misery because we’re afraid of change, of things crumbling to ruins.” “Ruin is a ‘gift’. Ruin is the road to transformation. It shows that we must always be prepared of endless waves of transformation…” ~ Eat Pray Love In architectural language, I studied how a monument lives so long and becomes the Icon for the city. Next, the busy long road, people rushing either towards or opposite to you, small pavements, hundreds of shops, preoccupied crowd moving like zombies, and you moving just with the ‘flow’, that’s when you know you are in Chandni Chowk. No matter from where you are or which place you belong to, this heritage street shows you that you are ‘nothing’. The moment you step into the crowd of Chandni Chowk, you are either lost or carried away by the ‘flow’ of it. Here, no one stops for no one. The flow is nonstop, pedestrians, vehicles, autos, rickshaws, even bullock-carts, all looking for their space and you find yourself fighting to get yours. My ‘love affair’ with the place is longstanding just as the place is. When I feel low I prefer to visit this street. It reminds me of the value of time and thus to ‘move on’. In technical terms, I studied the characteristics of an Urban Street.

PONNMANI @nomadicgirl

108 Followers

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Travel will make you to understand yourself better and believe me if you want to take the toughest decision in your life just move ahead choose a destination and backpack to isolate yourself . This is about my three days solo trip to delhi. So i planned to meet my friends andtocelebrate New year in my all time favorite and close to heart place "The delhi". So on day one I arrived at IG international airport. From there I reached my hotel. The first place I chose to go was Qutubminar. Explore the beauty of qutub and iron pillar which stands majestically. Roam around garden and illtumish tomb. If you want to cover delhi it is wise to choose metro. Take a metro card recharge it and swipe it to avoid traffic since bus service is less and complicated in delhi. After spending time in qutub Istartedto sarojini market to purchase stuffs in affordable price. Since it was new year time. I found abundant fashion items and accessories at low price. From there I started to delhi main. Evening I reached rastrapathi bhavan andparliament. From there I walked to India gate. It was quite a long walk and you can find lot of eateries like momos, golgappas, ice cream which was very tasty. After exploring all these I returned to hotel and had a sound sleep.

Vikram Mn

18 Followers

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It was again Comedy Central and Friends plus breakfast and South Indian lunch in my relative's home. Post that we went to Qutub Minar. Good for us, as it was some archaeological day, entry was free. Qutub Minar wasn't exciting as such and it wasn't as good as the Jaipur one too but the metro ride as usual was lovely. While coming back through Monday market in Karol Bagh, had a golgappae but missed chola bhatura. I somehow miss that every time. Monday market actually seemed to be a good avenue to buy cheap necessary things. But I was in no mood for shopping so didn't get any. Night, post dinner took a bus to station and reached the station well in advance. There was never a dearth of having juices. Lime, litchi, ice cream and mixed. It kept going on. Day 10 - One Final Journey It was a day I was getting fried up in the train oven. There was never a dearth of Supari clad local men in the compartment.

Souparna Chakraborty

606 Followers

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Delhi has been the pivotal point of India since ages. The sultans who tried to conquer India from time to time always had the priority to capture Delhi first, and then focus on the rest of the country. Delhi has seen change of thrones for generations. However, most of the time, Delhi and the surrounding region has stayed under Islamic rulers and their dominance. Five dynasties ruled over Delhi Sultanate sequentially, the first four of which were of Turkic origin: the Mamluk dynasty (1206–90); the Khilji dynasty (1290–1320); the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1414); the Sayyid dynasty (1414–51); and the Afghan Lodi dynasty (1451–1526). Much of Delhi’s architecture is a mix of every dynasty’s artisans. People from every dynasty contributed to shaping Delhi in a way that a blend of Indo-Persian to Indo-Afghan or Indi-Turkish architecture can be observed in the historical monuments of the city, most of which are in ruins, except the ones which have been recognized under UNESCO World Heritage Site program.