Qutb Minar is the second highest brick minaret in the world. The minaret, towering 80 meters (270 feet) into the sky, is made of marble and red sandstone bricks that are carved with sayings from the Koran. Construction took four years, starting in 1193. A circular staircase with 379 steps leads to the top; it is closed to visitors. Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosqueaa, the first mosque built in India, lies at the minaret’s foot. Nearby is the Iron Pillar, so named because it’s made from metals that don’t rust.
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