About Qutub Minar
Qutb ud-Din Aibak began the tower in 1199 and only finished the first story; his son-in-law, Iltutmish, added three more. After lightning damaged the top in the 14th century, Firuz Shah Tughlaq rebuilt the upper part and added another story. The result: 72.5 meters (238 ft) of red and gray sandstone, with bands of inscriptions that will give your neck a workout.
The complex, a World Heritage Site since 1993, includes the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the oldest surviving mosque of the Delhi sultans, and the iron pillar with a 4th-century Sanskrit inscription. Look for the lone cupola on the lawn: a leftover from a 19th-century restoration, it earned the nickname Smith's Folly.
