3A. Qutb Complex

Alai Darwaza and Minar

The Qutb complex was built by Qutb-ud-din Aiback to celebrate Mohammed Ghori’s victory over a Rajput king. Qutb-ud-din would later become the first Sultan of Dehli of the Mamluk (a Turkic nomadic group who converted to Islam) dynasty. The complex originally housed a complex of twenty-seven ancient Hindu and Jain temples which were destroyed and their material used in the construction of the nearby Dome of Islam (Quwwat-ul-Islam) Mosque.

The Alai Darwaza (above) is the main gateway to the mosque. Made of red sandstone, ilaid white marble decorations, inscriptions in Naskh (a Middle-Eastern, Arabic calligraphy) script, latticed stone screens, the mosque highlights the remarkable craftsmanship of the Turkic artisans who worked on it. This is the first building in India to employ the traditional Islamic arches and domes.

The Minar (above and below) is the tallest brick minaret (the highly-visible tower of a mosque to call Muslims to prayer) and its constructed marked the last of the Hindu kingdoms in North India. The top two floors of the minaret was struck by lightning and replaced with white marble and sandstone.
The details of the Qutb Minar depicts a combination of Indian and Islamic aesthetics with intricate floral patters, undulating outlines, and engraved Quranic calligraphy. The tower reaches 72.5 meters in high from the ground to the inverted-cone top and contains a spiral staircase with 379 steps.

Alai Minar

The Alai Minar is an incomplete monument that lies within the Qutb complex in South Delhi. Ala-ud-Din Khalji was an over-ambitious sultan who dreamt of constructing a huge minarer to commemorate his victories in South India. He wanted a structure that would double the height of Qutub Minar and planned to increase the size of the enclosures of the Dome of Islam Mosque by four times its original size and to provide a ceremonial entrance gateway on either sides of the mosque. He wanted the Alai Minar to match up with the size of the increased height of the mosque and also wanted a second tower of victory under his name and hence the Alai Minar began to take its shape. The construction was completed up till the first story and at a height of 24.5 meters but unfortunately, the construction was abandoned after the death of Sultan Ala-ud-din Khalji in 1316.

During the reign of the Khilji dynasty, a renowned Sufi poet named Amir Khusro makes a mention in one of his works named 'Tareekh-i-Alai' of the Sultan's intentions to increase the size of the mosque and the plan to construct the Alai Minar. Amir Khusro was a renowned scholar, musician, poet and a Sufi mystic who wrote numerous poetries in the Persian and Hindavi. He was also known as the 'Father of Qawwali' and introduced Arabic and Persian elements in his Hindu Classical music. He invented the use of Tabla, Khayal and Taraana styles in his music.

The Iron Pillar

At the center of the Dome of Islam Mosque stands the Iron Pillar. Dating back to the fourth century AD, the pillar bears a four-lined Brahmi inscription along the center of its length. The Sanskrit text was most-likely installed by Gupta emperor Chandragupta II in honor of the Hindu god Vishnu, one of Hinduism’s the three principle deities. Originally placed within a Vishnu temple complex in southwest India, it was later moved to Delhi prior to the Muslim invasion. Amazingly, the 7+ meter pillar’s nearly-pure composition of iron has resisted corrosion through last millennia and a half.

Iltutmish’s Tomb

This self-built tomb of Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish was built in 1235. The structure sits along the Iltutmish’s extensions of the Dome of Islam Mosque. The tomb is nine-square-meters. The bland and austere exterior (below) is in striking contrast to the heavily-decorated interior (below left).

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse