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Qutub Minar Coordinates: 28.524355°N 77.185248°E Qutub Minar Qutub Minar in Delhi, India Type Cultural Criteria (iv) Designated 1993 (17th session) Reference No. 233 Country  India Continent Asia Qutub Minar (English: The Qutub Tower; Urdu: قطب مینار‎), also known as Qutb Minarand Qutab Minar, is the tallest minaret in India, originally an ancient Islamic Monument, inscribed with Arabic inscriptions, though the iron pillar has some Brahmiinscriptions,[1] and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[2] Located in Delhi, the Qutub Minar is made of red sandstone and marble. The tower has 379 stairs,[3] is 72.5 metres (237.8 ft) high, and has a base diameter of 14.3 metres, which narrows to 2.7 metres at the top storey. Construction was started in 1192 by Qutub-ud-din Aibak and was completed by Iltutmish. [4][5] It is surrounded by several other ancient and medieval structures and ruins, collectively known as the Qutub complex.[1][6] ] The Qutab Minar is made of red sandstone covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an.It is built by qutb-ud-din Aibak. Numerous inscriptions in Parso-Arabic and Nagari characters in different sections of the Qutub Minar reveal the history of its construction. According to the inscriptions on its surface it was repaired by Firoz Shah Tughluq (AD 1351-88) and Sikandar Lodi[7] (AD 1489-1517).[citation needed The Qutub Minar comprises several superposed flanged and cylindrical shafts, separated bybalconies carried on Muqarnas corbels. The Qutub Minar is itself built on the ruins of the Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika, the capital of the Tomars and the Chauhans, the last Hindu rulers of Delhi.[9] One engraving on the Qutub Minar reads, "Shri Vishwakarma prasade rachita" ( \ The Iron Pillar in Qutub Minar, c. 1905 The Qutub Minar has been damaged by earthquakes and lightning strikes on several occasions but has been repaired and renovated by various rulers. During the rule of Firoz Shah, the minar's two top floors were damaged due to lightning but were repaired by Firoz Shah. In 1505, an earthquake struck and it was repaired by Sikandar Lodi. Later in 1794, the minar suffered another earthquake and it was Major Smith, an engineer, who repaired the affected parts of the Qutub Minar. He replaced Firoz Shah's pavilion at the top of the tower with his own pavilion. This pavilion was removed in 1848 by Lord Hardinge and now stands between the Dak Bungalow and the Minar in the garden. The floors built by Firoz Shah can be distinguished easily as the pavilion was built of white marble and quite smooth compared to the others. Qutub Minar tilts just over 60 cm from the vertical, which is considered to be within safe limits, although experts have stated that monitoring is needed in case rainwater seepage further weakens the foundation.[13] Gallery[edit]     Qutub Minar - A view from the gates