History
The Qutab Minar is the tower of victory started by Qutubuddin Aibak in 1199 upon becoming Sultan of Delhi. He was still a slave when he sat on the throne not declaring his independence until months later. Located 15kms to the south of Delhi it is set in a complex which contains other monuments and buildings but known primarily for the tower.
Qutb-ud-din Aibak also built the Quwwat-ul-islam mosque and the first storey of the Qutab Minar while his heir and son in law Iltutmish added the second and third storeys (1230)and 6 more arches to the Quwwat-ul-islam mosque. He also built his own tomb in the complex.
Alauddin Khalji added a southern entrance to the Quwwat-ul-islam mosque, the Alai Darwaza, the base of Alai Minar and a madrassa (1368)
The fourth and fifth storeys of the Qutab Minar were added by Firoz Shah Tughlaq(1370
Architecture
The 239ft sandstone tower is an Indo-Islamic architectural wonder of ancient India.The decoration of the Qutab Minar is consistently Islamic though the somewhat hybrid style of Firoz Shah's later additions is noticeably distinct. Numerous inscriptions in Arabic and Nagari reveal the history of Qutub, from its commencement in AD1199 to its repairs in between.