Qutub Minar
January 20th, 2010 | 
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The word ‘Qutub’ itself, means ‘pole of justice.’ The Qutub Minar made of red sandstone rising to the height of 72.5mts is an architectural marvel of the 13th century. It is situated in Delhi. It is constructed by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in the 12th century to celebrate the victory of Mohammed Ghori over the Rajputs and was completed in the 13th century by his successors.The structure was also probably built as a Minar, or place to call the faithful to prayer. It is often viewed as a symbol of the military might of the Turko-Afghan dynasty and Islam.
The Minar rises over 230 feet (72.5 meters) and the 379 stepped circular stairway leads to a spectacular view of the city. The monument’s diameter tapers from 14.3 meters at the base to 2.7 meters at the top, which creates the illusion of increased height. The tower has five distinct stories, separated by balconies. The first three stories are made of red sandstone, but when lightning knocked off the fourth in 1368, it was restored by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, who added a fourth and fifth story of marble and sandstone. The walls of the minar are intricately carved and inscribed with verses from the Koran.
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