Page 98 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

96  DELHI & THE NOR TH

x Mehrauli Archaeological Park

Best known for the Qutb Minar, a UNESCO World
Heritage Monument, Mehrauli was built over
Rajput territories called Lal Kot and Qila Rai Pithora.
In 1193, Qutbuddin Aibak, then a slave-general Dargah
of Muhammad of Ghur (see p52), made it the centre Qutb Sahib
of the Delhi Sultanate. By the 13th century the The 13th-century
dargah of Sufi
small village, Mehrauli, had grown around the saint Qutbuddin
shrine of the Sufi saint, Qutb Sahib. Later, Mughal Bakhtiyar and the
princes came here to hunt and some 19th-century nearby Moti
Masjid (“Pearl
British officials built weekend houses, attracted Mosque”) attract
by the area’s orchards, ponds and game. Many many pilgrims.
of Delhi’s rich and famous now own sprawling
retreats in the area.

0 metres 250
0 yards 250

. Jahaz Mahal
Venue of the
Phoolwalon ki Sair
(a colourful flower
procession), this square
pleasure pavilion, built
during the Lodi era
(1451–1526), seems
to float on the Hauz-
i-Shamsi tank.

KEY
1 Bagichi Mosque
2 Jharna (waterfall) was so-called
because after the monsoon, water
from the Hauz-i-Shamsi would flow
over an embankment into a garden.
3 Hauz-i-Shamsi reservoir was
built in 1230 by Sultan Iltutmish (see
p52), who is supposed to have been
guided to this site by the Prophet in
a dream. Madhi Masjid
4 Mehrauli village Surrounded by bastions
and a high wall, this
5 Zafar Mahal is a palace named fortress-like mosque,
after the last Mughal emperor, dating back to 1200, has a
Bahadur Shah Zafar.
large open courtyard and
6 Dilkusha Gardens a three-arched, heavily
ornamented prayer hall.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p694 and pp706–707

096-097_EW_India.indd 96 26/04/17 11:42 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 24th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm