Page 72 - SST Class 07

in traditional Islamic and Persian architecture). looms over the skyscaper and the third is the
The walls of the minaret are covered with Indian minaret which pierces the skies. Minarets were
floral motifs and verses from the Quran. actually symbols in the middle of deserts. They

The Qutub Minar and the Alai Darwaza represented fire which was lit atop them to guide
Qutub Minar is one of the earliest and best travelers. The dome represents the infinite and
also the sky.
known of the Delhi Sultanate architectural
monuments and also the tallest minaret in India. The New Elements Added by Muslims to Indian
Its accompanying gateway, the Alai Darwaza, Architecture :
bears the first surviving true dome in India. g The Indo-Islamic architecture inculcates the
Qutub Minar is located in Mehrauli Archeological elements of Saracenic, Turkish and Arab
Park, which also contains other fine examples of architecture.
Delhi Sultanate architecture, including the tomb g The Muslims absorbed many features of
of the sultan Balban (who reigned from local cultures and traditions and combined
1266–1287 CE), the first known building in India them with their own architectural practices.
to feature a true arch. Another building of histori- So, a mix of many structural techniques,
cal importance in the development of Indo- stylised shapes and surface decorations
Islamic architecture is the Alai Darwaza, the main came about through constant interventions
gateway on the southern side of the Quwwat-ul- of acceptance, rejection or modification of
Islam mosque in the Qutub complex. Built in architectural elements.
1311 CE, by the second Khilji Sultan of Delhi,
Ala-ud-Din Khilji, it features the earliest surviving
true dome in India.
THE REGIONAL KINGDOMS
Islam came along with the migration of Muslim
merchants, traders, the saints and finally the
conquest of Muslim rulers. The early Islamic
architectural activity was visible as back as 8th
century in some parts such as Sindh and Gujarat,
yet the large scale building activity began only in
the early 13th century by the Turkish state after Tomb of Sikandar Lodi
the Turkish conquest of north India. Although
Mughal architecture of north India is famous, the
fascinating richness of Islamic architectural
heritage in other parts of the country is not so
well-known. India has more beautiful medieval
Islamic architectural heritage than any other
country. This is a fact which most of us are not
aware of.
Islamic architecture is characterised by a few
visible symbols. One is the arch which frames the
space, the second symbol is the dome which Jahaz Mahal

Social Science-7 72