Hotels near Qutub Minar

Qutub Minar climbs 72.5 metres in five tapering storeys of fluted red sandstone and marble, begun by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1199 and completed by his successor Iltutmish. Bands of Quranic inscription wrap every level. The surrounding Qutb complex holds the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, the earliest in northern India, and the 7-metre Iron Pillar of the 4th century, which has resisted rust for more than 1,600 years and remains a genuine metallurgical puzzle.

You cannot climb the tower. The internal staircase closed in 1981 after a fatal stampede and has stayed shut. That takes nothing away from the site, since the ruins around the base repay a slow hour. Entry runs INR 40 for Indian citizens and INR 600 (roughly EUR 6.50) for foreign nationals on the separate tier. Open sunrise to sunset. Mehrauli Archaeological Park adjoins the south side, costs nothing, and scatters the Jamali Kamali mosque and dozens of tombs through open scrub.

Pro Tip: Pair the ticketed complex with a free hour in Mehrauli Archaeological Park next door, and arrive after 4 pm once the tour buses have pulled out. Late afternoon light sits well on the west face of the minaret and the queue is a fraction of the morning length.