The group of monuments lying away from the old city in the south-west of Delhi Quwwat-ul Islam Mosque of Qutub-ud-din Aibak, and Qutub Minar. This the highest tower in India. In the days of Qutubuddin Aibak the minar could not go beyond its first storey. It was Shamussuddin Iltutmish, the Turk of Albari tribe and successor and son-in-law of his master Qutubuddin Aibak to have the credit of superimposing the second and third storey upon it in 1210. Rest of the storeys with cupola were added by Firoz Shah Tughlaq in 1357. It is said that once the Minar had seven storys in all attaining a height of 300 feet. But now there have remained five storeys only. The height of each storey consisting a number of steps is as under:
The diameter of the Minar at its base is 47 feet and it is 9 feet at its top. Each storey is separated by a balcony. There is a wonderful carving on it bearing the testimony of the Eastern engineers. The red sandstones finely decorated with carved scrolls were used in the construction of first three storeys. In the fourth and the fifth storey thee was a cupola, 12 ft. 10 in high. It was damaged by lightning and was repaied by Sikandar Lodi in 1503. In 1803, the cupola was destroyed and thrown down by an earthquake. But it was again replaced by Major Robert Smith, an Executive Engineer in 1828 at the cost of Rs.17,000. Finally, later, Lord Hardinge removed it and now it is placed near the Qutub Minar.
