The Qutb Minar in Delhi is a 238-foot (72.5 m) minaret and victory tower, begun in 1199 by Qutb ud-Din Aibak. His successor and son-in-law, Iltutmish, added three more storeys, and most of the work was finished by about 1220. A lightning strike in 1369 damaged the top storey. Firuz Shah Tughlaq replaced it and added one more.
The tower has five storeys of red and gray sandstone, with a reconstructed fourth storey in marble. It tapers from a base 47 feet (14.3 m) across to 9 feet (2.7 m) at the top. The fluted shaft carries balconies supported by brackets that resemble stalactites, and the lowest storey is decorated with Naskh inscriptions.
Nearby stands the Iron Pillar, with a Sanskrit inscription in Brahmi script. UNESCO listed the site in 1993. Visitors can no longer climb the tower.
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