Qutub Minar: Ancient Ruins in Delhi
As you must've heard time and time again, I'm quite fond of ancient ruins. There is something about a place in a ruinous state that thrills the romantic in me. Qutub Minar in Delhi is the second tallest minar in the country. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Qutub Minar's tower has 379 steps and is 72.5m high. Construction of this monument began in 1193 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak and was continued by Iltutmish. The fifth and last story of the structure was built by Firoz Shah Tughlaq in 1368. The minar is flanked by several medieval structures that are in a ruinous state.
The minar was built using red sandstone and has carvings that were taken from the Qu'ran.
Tehe minar wasn't the only attraction in the complex. There were quite a few interesting structures as well. Walking around the complex gave me a glimpse of Delhi's ancient past. Some of the domed structures and carvings on the walls showed me the Islamic past of India. There are still a number of Muslims in the country but they are outnumbered by the Hindus.
Qutub Minar is worth a look if you're staying in Delhi for a couple of days. It's a great historical and cultural retreat from the city's craziness.
How to get to Qutub Minar?
There is a station named after the complex when you take the metro. It's easy to reach and very cheap at around INR 10-15 one way. We ended up riding an auto-rickshaw to the complex for around INR 30 one way from the metro station.
*There is a INR 250 entrance fee (foreigner fee) to enter the complex.
