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Sultan Ghari Tomb |
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| Located on the Andheria More Road to Delhi Airport,
about eight kilometers southwest of Qutab Minar in pocket 9,
opposite sector C, Vasant Kunj, lies the tomb of Sultan Ghari,
the first monumental Islamic tomb in northern India. The tomb
was built by Iltutmish (1211-36) in 1231 for his eldest son.
The prince Nasiru'd-Din Mahmud who waged several wars on behalf
of his father died in 1229 at Lakhnauti. He was given the name
of Sultan Ghari. Measuring 23.6 square meters, the tomb is constructed
of a stone with a golden hue on a rubble plinth about 3 meters
high. |
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| The octagonal tomb lies in the center of the
enclosure, which has an open courtyard with walls in the northern
and southern direction while the western and eastern sides have
colonnades based on sandstone pillars and domed bastions on
the corners. The western colonnades served as a mosque as there
is a prayer-niche of marble raised on pillars and with a mihrab
in its center. The corridors are said to be the place of learning
known as the madrasa. The enclosure or the tomb chamber due
to its architectural style is said to function like a crypt.
The notable feature of the tomb is that there are many architectural
elements here that are taken from earlier Hindu temples. |
| Apart from the Sultan Ghari's tomb, there are
also the pillared tombs of Rukn-ud-Din Firuz Shah and Mu'izz-ud-Din
Bahram Shah in the southern direction, the sons of Iltutmish
and his respective successors for a short period. |
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