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Photo: Wasir kasab, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The most famous structure on the grounds is the Minar itself. At 73m tall, it is the second tallest minar in India (after Fateh Burj in Mohali), and was the tallest "skyscraper" in the world when built (1193-1368). It is often visible from the air when flying into IGI airport. It was constructed on the orders of Qutb-ud-din Aybak, founder of the Slave Dynasty, and named after him. Delicately carved and inscribed with Arabic inscriptions, its red sandstone and marble have been astonishingly well-preserved, and it is still an awe-inspiring sight today. The top of the tower has twice been rebuilt after an earthquake, and the base has been restored more recently. While entry into the tower itself is no longer permitted, for ₹10 per 5 min you can view the scenery via a little webcam on top.
The Qutb Minar, also spelled Qutub Minar and Qutab Minar, is a minaret and victory tower, built during the Delhi sultanate, and comprising the Qutb complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mehrauli, South Delhi, India. It was mostly built between 1199 and 1220, contains 399 steps, and is one of the most frequented heritage spots in the city. After defeating Prithviraj Chauhan, the last Hindu ruler of Delhi before the Ghurid conquest of the region, Qutab-ud-din Aibak initiated the construction of the victory tower, but only managed to finish the first level. It was to mark the beginning of Islamic rule in the region. Successive dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate continued the construction, and, in 1368, Firuz Shah Tughlaq rebuilt the top parts and added a cupola.
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In the centre of the mosque. True to its name, this is a 7 m iron pillar erected in 400 AD by Chandragupta II Vikramaditya, also known as "he, by the breezes of whose prowess the southern ocean is even still perfumed" according to the inscription carved on the base. Alas, Chandragupta II's perfume has long since faded, but to the amazement of metallurgists everywhere, his pillar is still going strong, after 1,600 years. The corrosion resistance results from a layer of crystalline iron hydrogen phosphate forming on the high phosphorus content iron, which protects it from the effects of the local Delhi climate. The pillar is 7.21 m high, 1.12 m of which is below ground. The base rests on a grid of iron bars soldered with lead into the upper layer of the dressed stone pavement. It is estimated to weigh more than six tonnes.
Alai Darwaza
This square, domed building once acted as the entrance to the mosque but is now tucked away behind the minar. Inlaid marble decorations and latticed stone screens.
this octagonal tomb commemorates a Turkestani iman who was based in the mosque during the reign of Sikandar Lodi.
Delhi's first and grandest mosque is now mostly in ruins, but many parts of the complex are still standing and the sandstone decorations are still impressive. Check out the extraordinarily ornate carvings near the tomb of Iltutmish on the west side of the complex.
A marble sundial
Smith's Folly, which once stood on top of the Qutb Minar, has been removed and put on the southeastern corner of the Qutb complex.