Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi

The story of this place

You are standing in Lalkot, counted as the first of the seven cities of Delhi, founded by the Tomar ruler Anang Pal around 1060. At the end of the 12th century, after the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan, Qutbu'd-Din Aibak established the rule of the Delhi Sultanate here, and the buildings you see rose to announce it.

Aibak began the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in 1192, and it was completed in 1198. It is the oldest surviving mosque in northern India, and it was built with carved pillars and stones taken from about twenty demolished Hindu and Jain temples. Walk through its colonnades and you will see the older temple carvings still on the pillars. It is a place that carries a difficult history openly, and it deserves a slow, thoughtful look.

Aibak raised the first storey of the great minar around the year 1200, and the rulers after him carried it higher. Lightning damaged the tower in 1326 and again in 1368, after which Firuz Shah Tughluq rebuilt the top and gave it two extra storeys, which is why the upper storeys look different from the lower ones. Sikandar Lodi repaired it again in 1503. UNESCO inscribed the Qutb Minar and its monuments on the World Heritage List in 1993.

What you will see

The minar itself holds your eyes the longest. Each of the lower storeys is fluted differently, the first with alternating angular and rounded ribs, the second with rounded ribs, the third with angular ones, and bands of Quranic calligraphy run around the tower between richly carved balconies. Stand at the base and look straight up; the taper from a broad 14.32 metres at the base to 2.75 metres at the top is what gives the tower its grace.

In the mosque courtyard stands the famous Iron Pillar. It is about 7 metres tall and carries a Sanskrit inscription of the 4th century praising a king named Chandra, who scholars believe was the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II. After more than 1,500 years in the open, it shows almost no rust, and metallurgists still study how the ancient ironsmiths achieved this. It came here from elsewhere in India, and it is far older than everything around it.

Give time to the Alai Darwaza, the domed southern gateway built in 1311 by Alauddin Khalji, with red sandstone and white marble worked like jewellery. Nearby is the tomb of Iltutmish, built in 1235, plain outside and covered with fine carving inside. And do notice the huge unfinished stump of the Alai Minar, which Alauddin began with the dream of overtopping the Qutb Minar itself. He died when it had risen only one storey, and no one ever continued it.

Best time to visit

October to March is the pleasant season, when Delhi mornings are cool and the sandstone glows in the winter sun. Summer afternoons from April to June are harsh here because the complex has little shade, so in those months come at opening time.

The complex is open every day of the week, from early morning to evening, roughly sunrise to sunset. Most official listings give the hours as about 7 am to 5 pm, and they can shift, so check the current timing when you plan. Early morning is the best light for photographs and the quietest time to walk.

How to reach

The complex is in Mehrauli, in South Delhi. The easiest way is the metro: Qutab Minar station on the Yellow Line is about 2 km away, and autos wait outside to take you to the gate in a few minutes.

By road, taxis and app cabs reach the entrance directly from anywhere in Delhi. New Delhi railway station and Hazrat Nizamuddin station are both within a comfortable drive, and Indira Gandhi International Airport is the air gateway. Many of our Delhi day tours pair the Qutb Minar with Humayun's Tomb, because the two sites together show you the beginning and the flowering of Indo-Islamic architecture in one day.

Tips from our travel experts

Please know this before you go: you cannot climb the minar. The staircase inside has been closed to visitors since 4 December 1981, when a power failure caused a stampede inside the tower and 45 people, most of them schoolchildren, lost their lives. The tower is admired from the ground, and honestly, the carving and calligraphy are best seen from there anyway.

There is an entry fee, with different rates for Indian citizens and foreign nationals, and rates are revised from time to time, so please check the current rate on the ASI booking portal or ask your consultant. Buying the ticket online saves queue time on busy days.

Keep about two hours for the complex, wear a hat in the warm months, and carry water. The ground is uneven in places, so walk carefully with elders. Sunset from the lawns, with the tower turning deep red, is a photograph worth waiting for.