Qutb Minar

The Qutub Minar ( Urdu: قطب مینار ) is a victory and guard tower and a minaret in the Qutb complex in Delhi ( India). It ranks as a vintage masterpiece of Indo-Islamic architecture and is still one of the highest tower buildings in the Islamic world. Since 1993, it is recognized as part of world heritage by UNESCO. A climb for visitors is - after a power failure and a subsequent mass panic in 1981, when 45 people were killed - no longer allowed.

History

The exact dates for the Qutb Minar are not known. The foundation stone was probably not until the late 12th or early 13th century - placed under Qutb -ud -Din Aibak after the victory of the Muslims over the Hindus - say, almost 10 years after the completion of the adjacent Quwwat -ul -Islam Mosque. As models two tower buildings in Afghanistan served. Between 1211 and 1236 the tower was completed as a victory tower and minaret by his son and successor, Shams -ud -din Iltutmish.

According to the inscriptions on the surface of the fourth and fifth floor tower, he was repaired by Firuz Shah Tughluq (r. 1351-88 ) and Sikandar Lodi ( r. 1489-1517 ). This was done in Firuz Shah Tughluq allegedly been damaged by lightning and earthquakes in 1368 - the information about the causes of damage to the Qutb Minar are contradictory. Firuz Shah Tughluq replaced the top two floors of sandstone by the still existing today, which consist partly of white marble. The repair by Sikandar Lodi took place after damage to the year 1503.

Around the year 1800, the Qutb Minar was damaged again; these damages have been fixed to 1829 by Major R. Smith, a British engineer. It also Firuz Shah Tughluq of a lantern on top of the tower was replaced by a new one. The old lantern was removed in 1848 by Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge of the spire and placed in the garden area.

Architecture

The Qutub Minar is a five-story tower made ​​of red - partially also bright - sandstone with a height of 72.30 meters ( 29.10 m / 15,39 m / 12,31 m / 7,30 m / 7,00 m dome height 1.20 m) and a diameter of 13.70 m at the base and 2.75 m at the top. The structure of the three lower floors are highly organized - on the ground floor round and square braces alternate with each other; on the second floor, there are only round ' services ' and only square on the third floor. Noteworthy is the change between dark and lighter shades of red sandstone in the two lower floors; the dark red bands contain calligraphic inscriptions ( Koran verses, praises Allah, etc.). The projecting circumferential balconies rest on Muqarnas cornices. The entrance is on the side facing the mosque north side; the spiral staircase in the interior is illuminated by tiny window openings.

Pictures

Detailed stone carvings on a balcony

Top Floor

Former lantern of the Qutb Minar

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