We arrive at Qutub Minar, which is quite popular and has a large parking area, and then it is time to buy tickets. As usual we have to pay the significantly more expensive tickets for the privilege to be hustled by even more “guides” and “guards” throughout the complex. But first we have to get to the complex which is across the street and then pass through security, which is quite common iat India’s monuments.
From the entrance already we can see Qutub Minar, the minaret that gave the whole complex its name. It is impressive from a distance but first we want to explore the rest of the complex. And we start with Alai Minar which was supposed to rival and even exceed Qutub Minar. In fact it was supposed to be double the height but was stopped after the first floor was constructed due to the death of its sponsor Alauddin Khalji.
Qutub Minar lies right next to airport which leads to us seeing many planes preparing to land passing just above us. But we care more about the parakeets resting in Alai Minar especially after we notice they are Alexandrine parakeets, cute.
Next is the Tomb of Iltutmish, the second sultan of Delhi built in 1235, so significantly older than the other tombs we have seen. While from the outside it looks quite austere inside it is very detailed and beautiful, with lots of flowery writing and some nice decorations.
From here we can see the Qutub Minar from a different angle and over some interesting ruins. It is a nice walk and there are fewer people here and no scammers which allows us to enjoy the beautiful location.
We continue looking for birds and mammals along the way and we find a sleeping palm squirrel, really cute, along the boundary wall.
And then it is time to turn towards the center of the complex and the minaret. We take photos almost every step as the views are quite special as we slowly approach Qutub Minar.
For whatever reason we have to cross a bridge to get to the central plaza. It is only one and a natural chokepoint so that is where the scammers will gather. In this case it is a guard who wants to herd us to a “good place for photos” so we give him some tips. We escape with some difficulty and then take our own photos from places that we discover which is how we prefer under his disapproving gaze (until he finds other victims).
The area around the minaret is the previous location of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, and the oldest surviving mosque in the Indian subcontinent built in Ghurid style. In fact Qutub Minar, which is the tallest minaret in the world made out of bricks, is a tower of victory to celebrate the conquest of the Delhi area by Afghan invaders creating the Sultanate of Delhi.
We exit the central area via Alai Darwaza, the main gateway on the southern side. This is the first building in India to employ Islamic architecture principles in its construction with true arches and domes.
While important architecturally Alai Darwaza it is really not that beautiful inside. But it is quite different and beautiful from the outside especially with Qutub Minar in the background.
We then find Smith’s Folly one of the attractions which is not that popular. It has an interesting history which is related to Qutub Minar. The minaret was hit by lightning twice being repaired first by Firoz Shah Tughlaq and then by Sikander Lodi, a blast from the past as we have just seen his tomb a day before. And then in 1802 it got damaged by an earthquake with the cupola being thrown down. Major Smith restored it and then placed a chhatri on top which clashed with the style of the pillar. This was removed 20 years later and now sits next to it and is called Smith’s Folly, quite an interesting tidbit of history.
The other major attraction is the Iron Pillar, a supposedly non-corrosive pillar that didn’t rust since it was created. It was constructed by Chandragupta II in the fourth century so it predates the Qutub Minar complex. In fact we learn later that in order to build the complex over twenty Hindu temples were destroyed, something common but still sad. It even has an inscription in Sanskrit which provides some information regarding the period it was built.
We explore a bit more the ruins of the mosque and especially like the colonnades that we explore for some time before turning towards the exit.
The exit is actually located in a different location than the entrance which confuses quite a lot of tourists. Not us as we know how to read the signs :). And as we exit we find one more interesting place, a pyramid like ruin with no description at all, quite fun. And now we find the car and it is time to leave Delhi and drive towards Sariska.
