Qutb complex

The Qutb complex is a historic site in Mehrauli, South Delhi, that gathers several buildings from the Delhi Sultanate era, including a 73-meter minaret, mosques, tombs, and gateways spread across open courtyards. The grounds cover several hectares, where visitors walk among ruins and standing monuments that mark different phases of construction.

Construction started in 1192 after Turkic forces defeated the Tomar Rajputs, when Qutb-ud-din Aibak ordered the demolition of existing Hindu and Jain temples and raised the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque on their foundations. Later rulers added new structures, including Iltutmish, who extended the minaret upward, and Alauddin Khalji, who built a second gateway and further buildings.

The site takes its name from Qutb-ud-din Aibak, Delhi's first sultan, whose legacy appears in the arches and columns throughout the grounds. Visitors notice how stonemasons blended carvings from demolished temples with new Islamic motifs, creating a layered visual story in the walls.

The minaret viewing platform has been closed to visitors for many years due to safety concerns, but the courtyards, tombs, and archaeological remains remain open to walk through freely. The best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon, when light catches the red sandstone surfaces and crowds thin out.

An iron pillar from the 4th century stands in the courtyard, showing an unusual resistance to rust that results from its chemical composition with high phosphorus content. Scientists have studied how ancient craftsmen produced this alloy, which has withstood monsoon rains for over 16 centuries.