Qutub Minar

Qutubuddin Aibak laid the foundation of Qutab Minar, as a victory tower, in 1199 AD. Originally, it rose to a height of 72.5 m. It is undoubtedly one of the finest stone towers in India and one of the most important landmarks of Delhi. Iltutmish, the son-in-law and successor of Qutubuddin, completed its construction. Nearby, one can also see the ruins of the Tomb of Iltutmish. He built it in 1235 AD, during his own lifetime, and decorated the interiors profusely, using calligraphy. The tower tapers from a base of 14.32 m to 2.75 m at its top and took 20 years to complete.

Humayun's Tomb

The second Mughal Emperor Humayun died just a year after he regained Delhi. His Persian wife, Hamida Begum, supervised the construction of his tomb from 1562-1572. It was designed by the Persian architect, Mirak Mirza Ghiyuath. Situated on the bank of River Yamuna and adjoining the shrine of the famous Sufi saint Nizam al-Din Auliya, this tomb is said to have been a precedent of later Mughal mausoleums in India. The tomb took eight years to build and had a Char Bagh Garden style in its design, the first of its kind in the region. These were later introduced in the Red Fort of Delhi and at the Taj Mahal of Agra. The name of Humayun's tomb is found in the list of UNESCO Heritage buildings and was the first Indian building to use the Persian double dome. Its harmonious proportions are undoubtedly the work of skilled craftsmen.