Qutub Minar

Timeline

1. 1199–1210Qutb complex · DelhiThe first sultan of Delhi, Qutb al-Din Aibak, built the minaret's base and lower storeys on the site of a demolished Hindu temple, using red sandstone with alternating decorative bands, marking the visual sovereignty of Islamic rule in Delhi.
2. 1221–1230Qutb complex · DelhiIn the 1220s Iltutmish added three storeys and introduced white marble bands; inscriptions on the tower record his achievements and his investiture by the caliph, making the Qutub Minar one of the tallest brick-and-stone minarets in the world at the time.
3. 1225–1230Qutb complex · DelhiThe minaret, along with the Quwwat al-Islam Mosque, the iron pillar, and other remains, together formed the sultanate's religious center, balancing the call-to-prayer function with monumental symbolism and embodying a Turko-Indian architectural fusion style.