The great sights of the world seldom let you down. Not many who visit Angkor Wat, the Great Pyramid of Giza or the Taj Mahal leave feeling anything other than a sense of wonder, satisfied that man – despite an admittedly chequered past – has done some pretty awe-inspiring, life-affirming things along the way.
Qutub Minar is, unquestionably, such a wonder. One of the first remnants of Muslim India, the towering minaret consists of five segments of grooved, pale-red sandstone and marble – and it’s breathtakingly beautiful.
The minaret soars imperiously up from the middle of the Qutub Complex, which is filled with ruins, courtyards, pillars, pavilions, lawns, hedgerows and wooded areas. It has been designated a UN World Heritage site – proof, if proof were needed, that this is a ‘must see or you’ll kick yourself when you get home’ kinda place.
Qutub Minar is also proof that size doesn’t always matter. It may not be the tallest minaret in India – Punjab’s Fateh Burj is higher, at around 100m – but its jaw- dropping loveliness must make Qutub Minar the most impressive.
And what is utterly bonkers about Qutub Minar is that work to build it began in 1192, when most of the world was living in abject squalor, in buildings made of mud (or worse). Yet there were those with the insight, imagination and sheer determination to contemplate a structure with the architectural complexity and ambition of Qutub Minar. Amazing!