The Qutab Minar, a five story victory tower, was started in 1193 by Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak, the first Muslim Sultan of Delhi. Constructed of red sandstone, the five story 238-foot high tower served as a minaret to call the faithful to prayer. At the same time, Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak began building Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid, the first mosque in India (pictured above). The mosque was constructed from the spoils of 27 demolished Hindu temples whose figures of gods and goddesses were defaced.
An iron pillar stands in the courtyard in front of the mosque (center, above). The pillar, which was built during the Gupta Empire (a Hindu empire in India from 320 to about 335AD), may be a tribute to Lord Vishnu. It is made of such pure iron that it has never rusted. According to legend, anyone who can encircle the pillar by standing with their back to the pillar and clasping their hands together will have his wish granted. Unfortunately, the pillar is now surrounded by a fence and we were not able to test our ability to encircle the pillar.
In the photographs below we see the Qutab Minar at sunset which enhances the red sandstone's color, the intricately carved gateway to the Qutab Complex which is embellished with inscriptions from the Koran, and detail of a Hindu temple pillar which was defaced when the Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid was built in the 12th century.

Click on the links below to see a larger view of each photograph.