Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi
Date of Inscription: 1993
N28 31 33.0 E77 11 07.0
The Qutb complex is an array of monuments and buildings at Mehrauli in Delhi, the most famous of which is the five-storeyed, and 72.5 m high Qutb Minar built in 1192 AD, by Qutbuddin Aibak, viceroy and general in Mohammed Ghori of Ghazni’s army to mark their victory over Delhi. The complex was added to by many subsequent rulers, including Firoz Shah Tughlaq and Ala ud din Khilji as well as the British. Other important constructions in the complex are the Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque, the Alai Gate, the Alai Minar, the Iron pillar, and the tombs of Iltutmish, Alauddin Khilji and Imam Zamin; surrounded by Jain temple ruins.
Taj Mahal
Date of Inscription: 1983
Uttar Pradesh, Agra District
N27 10 27 E78 02 32
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Srhah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO Worrld Heritage Site and was cited as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.” While the white domed marble mausoleum is its most familiar component, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. Building began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, and employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision including Abd ul-Karim Ma’mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer.
Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
Date of Inscription: 1993
Delhi
N28 35 36.0 E77 15 02.0
Humayun’s tomb complex encompasses the main tomb of the Emperor Humayun, which houses the graves of his wife, Hamida Begum, and also Dara Shikoh, son of the later Emperor Shah Jahan, as well as numerous other subsequent Mughals, including Emperor Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Rafi Ul-Darjat, Rafi Ud-Daulat and Alamgir II. It represented a leap in Mughal architecture, and together with its accomplished Charbagh garden, typical of Persian gardens, but never seen before in India, it set a precedent for subsequent Mughal architecture. It is seen as a clear departure from the fairly modest mausoleum of his father, the first Mughal Emperor, Babrur, called Bagh-e Babur (Gardens of Babur) in Kabul (Afghanistan).
Red Fort Complex
Date of Inscription: 2007
N28 39 20 E77 14 27
The Red Fort is a 17th century fort complex constructed by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan in the walled city of Old Delhi (in present day Delhi, India). It served as the capital of the Mughals until 1857, when Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the British Indian government. The British used it as a military camp until India was made independent in 1947. It is now a popular tourist site, as well as a powerful symbol of India’s sovereignty: the Prime Minister of India raises the flag of India on the rampants of the Lahori Gate of the fort complex every year on Independence Day.