Essay on Qutub Minar

Qutub Minar is the world’s tallest minaret made of brick. Its height is 72.5 meters and
its construction was initiated by Qutub-Ud-Din Aibak. The minaret was built
following the architecture of the Minaret of jam located in Afghanistan. The
construction started in 1199 by Qutub-ud-din Aibak and was completed by Iltutmish
in 1220. It is considered as the symbol of victory as it earmarked the beginning of the
Delhi Sultanate in India. Aibak was unable to complete the minaret.

Iltutmish, the successor of Aibak, and his son-in-law constructed three more levels
under his supervision. After 169 years, the rest of the tower’s levels were constructed
by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. It had a beautiful dome above the 5 floor. It got devastated
th

due to an earthquake. Later, the British Engineer, Major R. Smith designed a Bengali
cupola or ‘Chhatri’ and restored its glory. In this paragraph on Qutub Minar, you can
see how so many cultures shared their knowledge of architecture to build this minaret.
This is why it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Every year, thousands of tourists from all over the world witness the magical
conglomeration of Afghan and Indo-Islamic architecture. This minaret has a distinct
red tinge from the red sandstone in the first three levels and a white tinge in the rest of
the levels. Qutub Minar is one of the oldest minarets in the world. It is the symbol of
our diverse culture and heritage evolved from several dynasties of the historical era.