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The Qutub Minar is a minaret – but also giant tower 240 feet tall! It was built between 1192 and 1369 and forms part of the Qutub Complex, a UNESCO Heritage site that includes mosques, tombs, and assorted buildings. The tower is an absolutely massive construction, especially for its time.

The tower is built of red sandstone. To get an idea of the scale, notice the people standing around the base.

Of course, I have to have my picture taken with the tower…

Many of the ornate decorations of flowers and other patterns are Hindu, and the style is visibly old Hindu – because the stonework was stolen (“repurposed”?) from previous Hindu temples by the new rulers.

Here`s a closer look at what much of the decoration is like. The carvings were done by Hindu craftsmen hired by the Moslem rulers. The craftsmen could not read or write the Moslem Arabic script, so the carvings look beautiful and seem to be Arabic writing, but are generally unreadable since the workmen had no idea what they were copying.