The Jantar Mantar is an open-air observatory, a collection of astronomical instruments built by Sawai Jai Singh II in the early eighteenth century. He constructed it through a royal sanction of the Mughal ruler at the time, Muhammed Shah ‘Rangeela’. Read more
Set among the rocky spurs of the southern ridge, the tomb of Sultan Ghari and the ruins around it are of great historic signifi cance being the the oldest extant monumental tomb in Delhi, built in 1231–32.
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One of the most important roads to fall in New Delhi’s heritage route is Lodi Road. At its eastern end stands one of the three UNESCO World Heritage sites in Delhi, Humayun’s Tomb. At its western end is another remarkable tomb, that of the Mughal nobleman Safdarjung. Read more
The focal point of this historically rich area is the ancient city of Siri, established by Alauddin Khalji in the early fourteenth century as a military camp to protect the capital of his empire from the attack of the Mongol army. Little did Alauddin know that his newly founded city would, in the...Read more
South Shahjahanabad is a fascinating area that is a striking blend of history and contemporaneity. Before Shahjahan built the walled city, the area was well known as a site for burials around the grave of Shah Turkman (a Sufi saint who lived here during the reign of Sultan Iltutmish) and later as...Read more
Tughlaqabad is considered to be the third extant city of Delhi, after Lal Kot (built in mid-eleventh century by the Tomars) and Siri (built by the second ruler of the Khalji Dynasty, Alauddin Khalji). The Tughlaq Dynasty that ruled a large part of India from Delhi enjoyed the prowess of three...Read more
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Qutb Minar Complex is dominated by the early thirteenth century stone tower, towering above the horizon. It was once part of the fi rst urban complex in Delhi, Lal Kot, built by the Tomar Rajput rulers. Following the victory of Mahmud of Ghazni over Prithviraj...Read more
A glance at any map of Delhi, drawn after the 1920s, will show clearly what is probably the most prominent landmark of Delhi, the distinctive wheel-like structure of Connaught Place. Although it’s been officially renamed Rajiv Chowk, after India’s former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, Connaught...Read more
Tughlaqabad is considered to be the third extant city of Delhi after Lal Kot and Siri. Ghiasuddin Tughlaq, the founder of the Tughlaq Dynasty, during his short reign (AD 1320–24) built the fortifi ed city of Tughlaqabad, spanning nearly 6.5 km, over a period of only four years. Read more
In the early fourteenth century, the second Khalji ruler, Alauddin founded the city of Siri, on the plains where his armies met the Mongols in battle. Due west, outside the walls of Siri, he built a large hauz or tank, that was known as Hauz-e-Alai, to supply water to the new city. In the years...Read more