Travelling to
Jaipur
Rajasthan
Loading…Qutb complex
monumentheritagehistoryphotographyOpen
Photos: Srividya (CC BY-SA 4.0) · NID chick (CC BY 2.0) · Wasir kasab (CC BY 4.0)
A 72.5 m fluted tower begun in 1199, standing in a UNESCO-listed complex in Mehrauli. The complex also holds the Iron Pillar and the Alai Darwaza.
Qutb-ud-din Aibak started the minaret in 1199 and built the first storey. His successor Iltutmish added the next three, and Firuz Shah Tughlaq repaired and reworked the top after lightning struck in 1369. Around the tower are the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, the earliest surviving mosque of the Delhi Sultans, and the Iron Pillar in its courtyard, along with the Alai Darwaza gateway, Iltutmish's tomb and Imam Zamin's tomb. UNESCO listed the complex in 1993. Visitors cannot go inside the tower.
Highlights
- Qutb Minar tower
- Iron Pillar
- Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
- Alai Darwaza
- Tomb of Iltutmish
- Alai Minar (unfinished)
- Imam Zamin's Tomb
Tips
- The tower's interior has been closed since a 1981 stampede.
- As of Sept 2026, ASI listed the first floor of the Hindu Remains Corridor and Jamali Kamali Tomb as closed.
- Mehrauli Archaeological Park is next door and makes an easy add-on.
Around it
Within 1 km of Qutb complex.
Sights and heritage Nature and outdoors Food and cafes Bars and nightlife Places to stay Getting there Traveller services
Best places nearby
Garden of Five Senses
Themed 20-acre park in Said-ul-Ajaib with sculptures, water features, flower beds and rocky terrain designed to engage all five senses.
Photo: Sanskari
Deer Park, Hauz Khas
Free green park beside Hauz Khas Village with a spotted-deer enclosure, rabbits, peacocks, Lodi-era tombs and walking trails.
Photo: Cutest Penguin
Dilli Haat
Ticketed open-air crafts bazaar run by Delhi Tourism, with rotating stalls from every Indian state and regional food counters.
Photo: Varun Shiv Kapur
Tughlaqabad Fort
The vast ruined stone fort of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, built in the 1320s and soon abandoned. A causeway links it to his tomb across the road.
Photo: Shannon.Mathew
Tomb of Safdar Jang
A garden tomb from 1754 at the end of Lodhi Road, often described as the last great monumental tomb of Mughal-era Delhi.
Photo: Shagil Kannur
Select Citywalk
Premium Saket mall with international fashion and beauty brands, dining, an outdoor plaza and a multiplex.
Photo: KuwarOnline
Lodi Gardens
A 90-acre city park off Lodhi Road with 15th–16th century Sayyid and Lodi tombs set among lawns and walking paths.
Photo: Amaninder
Chor Minar
A Khalji-era rubble tower in Hauz Khas Enclave with 225 holes, where, legend says, the heads of executed thieves were displayed.
Photo: Ramesh lalwani
Similar places
Khooni Darwaza
A 16th-century gateway from Sher Shah Suri's era on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, notorious as the place where three Mughal princes were shot in 1857.
Photo: Varun Shiv Kapur
Feroz Shah Kotla
The ruined 14th-century citadel of Firuz Shah Tughlaq, with a 3rd-century BC Ashokan pillar. Crowds gather on Thursdays to leave wishes for djinns.
Photo: User:आशीष भटनागर
Raj Ghat and associated memorials
A black marble platform with an eternal flame marking where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated in 1948, set in lawns by the Yamuna.
Photo: Humayunn Niaz Ahmed Peerzaada from Mumbai, India
India Gate
Lutyens' 42 m war-memorial arch on Kartavya Path, honouring Indian soldiers who died in WWI and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. Its lawns are a popular evening hangout.
Photo: User:Parikhjigish
Jantar Mantar
An 18th-century open-air astronomical observatory near Connaught Place, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur.
Photo: Alessio
Purana Qila
A 16th-century citadel on Mathura Road linked with Humayun and Sher Shah Suri. Excavations here show settlement going back about 3,000 years.
Photo: Moheen Reeyad
Hanuman Temple, Connaught Place
Old Hanuman temple on Baba Kharak Singh Marg, linked by legend to the Mahabharata. Unusually, its spire carries a crescent moon. It is busiest on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Photo: Nvvchar
Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Indian President's official residence on Raisina Hill. Visitors can book guided circuits of the main building and museum, and watch the Change of Guard.
Photo: Ankur Panchbudhe from Pune, India