| the
QUTB MINAR, symbol of Delhi, 1193-1386 |
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In the lower left part of the map |
| The Qutb Minar had antecedents in earlier victory towers built in Afghanistan first by the Ghaznavids (early 1100's), then by the Ghurids (late 1100's); compare also the *Kalon Minar* (c.1127) in Bukhara | |
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DIN KA JHOMPRA* |
In Ajmer, the Adhai din ka Jhompra ("Hut of 2 1/2 Days"), converted from a Jain temple into a mosque in 1199-1200, originally had two similar minars rising from the corners of its screen |
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The Qutb gets its name from the first great Sufi saint of Delhi, Qutb ud-Din Bakhtyar Kaki (d.1237); it has always been irresistible to artists |
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How the Qutb Minar itself looms above its surroundings; for many more huge photos of the whole complex, see the *ANU image collection* |
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The tomb of Iltutmish (r.1210-35), carved with wonderful elaboration, is also in the *Qutb complex* |
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The Ala'i Darvaza was added by Sultan Ala ud-Din Khilji (r.1296-1316) in 1310 as a formal gateway to the Qutb |
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The Qutb Minar and the adjacent Ala'i Darvazah, in early photos |
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Ala ud-Din Khilji then rashly decided to build an even larger "Ala'i Minar" in the same complex, but he died before the attempt could get (very far) off the ground |
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The tomb of the Sufi pir called
"Imam Zamin"
(d.1538/9), who came to Delhi from Turkestan around 1500, is also nearby |
