India

Qutb Minar

WHS Score 3.45
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Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi comprises a group of religious and funerary buildings that display the architectural and artistic achievements of early Islamic India.

The 13th-century complex includes the Quwwatu'l-Islam mosque, the earliest extant mosque in northern India, and the 72m high minaret Qutb Minar. The site also holds the Iron Pillar, built during the Gupta Empire in the 4th century CE - a standing testimony to the metallurgical skill of ancient Indians.

Community Perspective: a serene, smallish site to visit in Delhi. Besides the main structures, the Tomb of Iltutmish is also recommended for its fine carvings.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (ID: 233)
Country
India
Status
Inscribed 1993 Site history
History of Qutb Minar
1993: Inscribed
Inscribed
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • iv
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • Oct. 11, 2016 timesofindia.indiatimes.com — Plans for Skywalk to Qutb Minar
  • July 10, 2013 hindustantimes.com — Idea of new roads near Qutb complex trashed
  • May 7, 2008 expressindia.com — The ASI has begun a project to make all World Heritage sites in Delhi disabled-friendly, starting with the Qutb Minar
  • April 20, 2008 timesofindia.indiatimes.com — Surging crowds of 5,000 a day at Qutab Minar has left the Archaeological Survey of India scrambling to make additional arrangements, like separate entrance and exit gates

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Natural landscape: Rivers, Wetlands and Lakes
  • Religious structure: Islamic
Travel Information
One million visitors or more
One million visitors or more
Qutub Minar surpassed Agra Fort, attracting 220,017 foreign and 3.12 million domestic visitors in …
Agra and Delhi hotspot
Recent Connections
View all (28) .
Connections of Qutb Minar
Individual People
  • Ibn Battuta
    "In the northern court of the mosque is the minaret, which has no parallel in the lands of Islam. It is built of red stone, unlike the stone used for the rest of the mosque, for that is white, and the stones of the minaret are decoratively carved. The minaret itself is of great height..."
  • Gertrude Bell
    Photo taken January 9 1903
  • Erich von Däniken
    'Non-rusting' iron pillar
  • Marianne North

    See www.kew.org

Geography
Trivia
History
  • Thomas Cook Round the World tour 1872-1873
    c Feb 1873 "Delhi is one of the most interesting places in c Feb 1873 "Our good friend, Mr. Smith, is a power in Delhi, both in spiritual, sanitary, and social affairs. He spent a day with us in a visit to Kutuh, 11 miles distant, where there is one of the most wonderful obelisks in the world, surrounded by ruins of the greatest antiquity and interest."
  • Located in a Former Capital
    Delhi, Capital of Sultanate of Delhi (1206-1526)
Architecture
World Heritage Process
Religion and Belief
Constructions
  • Tombs
    Several
  • Notable minarets
    72.5m high, and also the tallest brick minaret in the world (wiki)
  • Pillars
    The "non rusting" Iron Pillar. Although often called an "Ashoka Pillar" it is not. It bears an inscription which states that it was erected as a flagstaff in honour of the Hindu god, Vishnu, and in the memory of the Gupta King Chandragupta II (375-413).
  • Unfinished constructions
    Second minerat is unfinished
  • Significant Follies
    "Smith's Folly" is a remnant of the tower's 19th century restoration. Major Robert Smith of the British Indian Army renovated the tower in 1828 and installed a pillared cupola over the fifth story, creating a sixth. The cupola was taken down in 1848 and reinstalled at ground level to the east of Qutb Minar, where it remains.

    See en.wikipedia.org

WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
WHS Hotspots
Visiting conditions
  • Foreigner prices
    Citizens of India and visitors of SAARC (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan) and BIMSTEC Countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar) - Rs.30 per head. Others: Rs. 500/- per head

    See asi.nic.in

WHS Names
  • Named after individual people
    After Qutb ud-Din Aibak, founder of the Delhi Sultanate (wiki: "It is usually thought that the tower is named for Qutb-ud-din Aibak, who began it. It is also possible that it is named after Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki a 13th-century sufi saint, because Shamsuddin Iltutmish was a devotee of his.")

    See en.wikipedia.org

18
News
timesofindia.indiatimes.com 10/11/2016
Plans for Skywalk to Qutb Minar
hindustantimes.com 07/10/2013
Idea of new roads near Qutb comple…
expressindia.com 05/07/2008
The ASI has begun a project to mak…
Recent Visitors
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Visitors of Qutb Minar
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Community Reviews

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First published: 04/06/24.

Carlo Sarion

Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar (Inscribed)

Qutb Minar by Carlo Sarion

This complex of mosques, tombs, towers, and other structures was the first site we visited on my “revenge” trip to India in Dec 2023, having missed this back in Dec 2013. The site is located in the Mehrauli neighbourhood in southern Delhi and is adjacent to the Mehrauli Archaeological Park. This site is a pretty solid testament to early Islamic art in India and it deserves to be a part of everyone’s itinerary in Delhi.

We went mid-morning, hoping that the smog would be gone by that time. The ticket booth, shops, food stalls, and toilets are located across the site’s main entrance. We paid INR 500 for the entrance ticket (as foreign travellers) and went straight in to avoid the influx of visitors, which were mostly students. We visited all the main structures within the complex.

1. Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar is located at the southern end of the complex. As its name suggests, this "victory tower" seemed to have served more as a showpiece than an actual minaret where the muezzin called for prayers. It is an imposing structure made up of several stories of sandstone. Taking a closer look at the column you would see combinations of intricate Islamic geometric designs and Indian floral patterns that were reflective of the artistry at the time. It's great to see how rulers and governments have preserved this tower, given that Delhi also experiences a fair share of seismic activity. I'd call this tower the …

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First published: 07/09/12.

Clyde

Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar (Inscribed)

Qutb Minar by Clyde

I visited this WHS in January 2012. The 72.5m red sandstone and marble Minaret alone, already deserves being inscribed in the list. The intricate carvings with arabic calligraphy and islamic symbols are truly incredible and can be seen from every angle adorning the tallest minaret in India. The rest of the site is made up of interesting remains, tombs and an early mosque.

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First published: 02/02/11.

Els Slots

Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar (Inscribed)

Qutb Minar by Els Slots

This was the first stop on my full-day tour of Delhi sights. The complex has a serene atmosphere, enhanced a little by the famous Delhi morning fog. You can sit on park benches and take in the views of these old constructions. There were about 20 other western visitors around, more than I had seen at any site outside of Delhi.

The focal point of the complex obviously is the enormous minaret. You only really feel how broad and tall it is when you're standing next to it. A magnificent piece of work.

And then there's the enigmatic Iron Pillar. It looks so out of place here, in this whole complex full of brick and sandstone buildings. It's a very thin pillar, surrounded by a fence to protect it. It looks as if it was placed here only recently, at the start of modern construction.

Another monument that I enjoyed here was the Tomb of Iltutmish. It's a bulky structure when looked at from the outside and it is missing its roof. The interior however has lots of fine carvings, both in red sandstone and white marble.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Rob Wilson

Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar (Inscribed)

Qutb Minar by Rob Wilson

The Qutb Minar complex is an incredible self-proclamation of Islams arrival in India. When you consider the age of the Minar itself it makes it all the more impressive.

The unrusted ancient iron pole at the site is a wonderful unsolved mystery. How can iron be so pure that it doesn't rust?

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First published: 01/05/05.

Christer Sundberg

Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar (Inscribed)

Qutb Minar by Christer Sundberg

Having muscled through the traffic of central Dehli to the southern suburbs, I found myself at the Qtub Minar, the 73 meter high minaret and one of the true landmarks of the city. Whether it was really meant as a minaret or just a watch tower seem to be still under discussion but it was unquestionably built in the late 12th century by Qutub-ud-din Aibak.

Standing next to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and many other temples in a nice park, it's a peaceful excursion that could last you an hour or two. And while you are there, don't miss Ala-ud-Din's unfinished minaret, meant to be twice as high as the Qtub Minar, but left at 27 meters at the time of his death.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Anonymous

Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar (Inscribed)

Qutb Minar by Els Slots

Qutb Minar and it's monument's in Delhi is amazing although there has been some canges over the years for example you can't try to put your hands on the Iron Pillar beacause theres a gate around it. But the rewrds are amazing it's basiclly a complex so expect 1hour-1 and a half hour to explore the whole thing. The admission price for this monument is as falows,250 Rupees for all adults, children are free.

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