Qutub Minar Vlog @sonavdiaries
QUTB MINAR कुतुब मिनार
COORDINATES: 28.524355°N 77.185248°E
CONSTRUCTION STARTED BY QUTUB-UD-DIN AIBAK & COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION BY ILTUTMISH
MADE OF RED SANDSTONE AND MARBLE, QUTUB MINAR IS A 73-METRE (239 FEET) TALL TAPERING TOWER OF FIVE STOREYS, WITH A 14.3 METRE (47 FEET) BASE DIAMETER, REDUCING TO 2.7 METRES (9 FEET) AT THE PEAK. IT CONTAINS A SPIRAL STAIRCASE OF 379 STEPS.ITS DESIGN IS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN BASED ON THE MINARET OF JAM, IN WESTERN AFGHANISTAN.
QUTB UD-DIN-AIBAK, FOUNDER OF THE DELHI SULTANATE, STARTED CONSTRUCTION OF THE QUTUB MINAR'S FIRST STOREY AROUND 1192. IN 1220, AIBAK'S SUCCESSOR AND SON-IN-LAW ILTUTMISH COMPLETED A FURTHER THREE STOREYS. IN 1369, A LIGHTNING STRIKE DESTROYED THE TOP STOREY. FIROZ SHAH TUGHLAQ REPLACED THE DAMAGED STOREY, AND ADDED ONE MORE.
ACCIDENT
BEFORE 1974, THE GENERAL PUBLIC WAS ALLOWED ACCESS TO THE TOP OF THE MINAR, VIA THE INTERNAL STAIRCASE. ON 4 DECEMBER 1981, THE STAIRCASE LIGHTING FAILED. BETWEEN 300 AND 400 VISITORS STAMPEDED TOWARDS THE EXIT, AND 45 WERE KILLED IN THE CRUSH AND SOME WERE INJURED. MOST OF THESE WERE CHILDREN. SUBSEQUENTLY, PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE INSIDE OF THE TOWER HAS BEEN STOPPED.