Qutb Minar Editorial Photo

The qutub minar was commissioned by qutbuddin aibak , the first muslim sultan of delhi, and was completed by his successor - iltutmish. it is not known whether the tower was named after qutbuddin aibak or qutbuddin bakhtiar kaki, a famous sufi saint who was living in delhi contemporarily. as the name suggests the tower was to serve the purpose of a minaret from where the adhan could be issued. the culture of tower architecture was well established in india before the arrival of the turks as can be understood from the kirti stambh at chittor, rajasthan. however, there is no evidence on record to confirm that the qutb minar was inspired or influenced by earlier rajput towers. at present it does not have the topmost storey which was destroyed by lightning in 1368ad the 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. it was made by the first ruler of slave dynasty, qutb-ud-din aibak.