The minaret
Five fluted storeys.
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A soaring minaret and victory tower from the Delhi Sultanate, built mostly between 1199 and 1220; at 72.5 m it is the tallest brick minaret in the world, at the heart of the Qutb complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mehrauli, South Delhi. Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first sultan of Delhi, began it but finished only the first storey; his successors carried on, and Firuz Shah Tughlaq rebuilt the upper storeys in 1368. The tower stands out for its five fluted storeys divided by projecting balconies and the fine Qur'anic and decorative carving cut into the stone. Around it lie the ruins of the first mosque built in Delhi, an iron pillar about 1,600 years old that has not rusted, the graceful Alai Darwaza gateway with its decorated arches, and the unfinished Alai Minar. Climbing the tower is not allowed, and the complex takes about an hour. Foreign visitors pay about ₹600, a little less online, per visitor guides. Come early in the morning or before sunset, when the red stone glows.
Five fluted storeys.
That never rusts.
A carved gateway.
Mehrauli, South Delhi
No, climbing is not allowed, but you can explore the complex around it; foreign visitors pay about ₹600, per visitor guides.