Alai Minar - Historical place in New Delhi - South, India

The Khilji dynasty ruler Alauddin Khilji ordered to built a more good building (Minar) near the Qutub Minar on his name, Alai Minar means the Minaret of Alauddin. However the Ruler died when only the basement of the Monument was completed. Hence it was not even seen by other ruler to complete it. It is standing like that still.[8] Alauddin Khilji had also built the Alai Darwaza at the entrance of Qutub Minar complex.[9][10]

Alauddin Khilji started building the Alai Minar and wanted it to be two times higher than Qutub Minar. However, after his death in 1316, the monument was never completed by his successors. The first storey of the Alai Minar still stands today at Qutub Complex.

It's really an amazing unfinished monument near to the qutub minar... Well maintained around the minar..Must Visit this alai minar if you planning to visit delhi...

The Alai Minar is an unfinished minaret located in the Qutub Minar complex in Mehrauli, New Delhi, India. It was commissioned by the Delhi Sultanate ruler, Alauddin Khalji, in the early 14th century as a symbol of his military might and ambition. Alauddin Khalji was a powerful ruler who expanded the Delhi Sultanate through a series of military campaigns. He commissioned the Alai Minar in 1311 CE as a towering victory tower, taller than the nearby Qutub Minar, to celebrate his victories and establish his legacy. The minar was meant to be twice the height of the Qutub Minar, but it was never completed. The Alai Minar is made of red sandstone and stands at a height of about 25 meters. It is adorned with intricate carvings and inscriptions in Arabic and Persian. The base of the minaret is a massive square, which was intended to support the weight of the tower. However, the tower was never completed, and only the base and a few layers of the tower were constructed. There are several theories as to why the Alai Minar was never completed. Some historians believe that it was abandoned due to financial constraints or the death of Alauddin Khalji, while others suggest that the tower was abandoned due to structural issues. Today, the Alai Minar is a popular tourist attraction and serves as a reminder of the Delhi Sultanate's architectural and artistic achievements. Despite its unfinished state, it remains an impressive structure, and its imposing size and intricate design continue to inspire awe and wonder.

Alauddin Khalji started building the Alai Minar, after he had doubled the size of Quwwat ul-Islam mosque built before 1300AD. He conceived this tower to be two times higher than Qutb Minar in proportion with the enlarged mosque.The construction was however abandoned, just after the completion of the 25-metre-high (82 ft) first-story core; soon after the death of Alauddin in 1316, and never taken up by his successors of Khalji Dynasty. The first storey of the Alai Minar, a giant rubble masonry core, still stands today, which was evidently intended to be covered with dressed stone later on. Noted Sufi poet and saint of his times, Amir Khusro in his work, Tarikh-i-Alai, mentions Ala-ud-din's intentions to extend the mosque and also constructing another minar. A short distance west of the enclosure, in Mehrauli village, is the Tomb of Adham Khan who, according to legend drove the beautiful Hindu singer Roopmati to suicide following the capture of Mandu in Madhya Pradesh. When Akbar became displeased with him he ended up being heaved off a terrace in the Agra Fort. Several archaeological monuments dot the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, including the Balban's tomb, Jamali Kamali Mosque and Tomb. There are some Mughal summer palaces in the area: the Zafar Mahal, the Jahaz Mahal next to Hauz-i-Shamsi lake, and the tombs of the later Mughal emperors of India, inside a royal enclosure near the dargah shrine of Sufi saint, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki. Here an empty space between two of the tombs, sargah, was intended for the last Mughal emperor of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar who died in exile in Rangoon, Burma, in 1862, following his implication in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Also standing nearby is the Moti Masjid mosque in white marble.

The Alai Minar is an incomplete tower in the Qutub Complex that was begun by Alauddin Khilji. After doubling the size of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, Khilji chose to build a tower twice the height of the Qutub Minar.The Khilji dynasty ruler Alauddin Khilji ordered to built a more good building (Minar) near the Qutub Minar on his name, Alai Minar means the Minaret of Alauddin. However the Ruler died when only the basement of the Monument was completed. Hence it was not even seen by other ruler to complete it.

Visited the Alai Minar. Really amazing historical monument. Alauddin Khalji started building the Alai Minar, after he had doubled the size of Quwwat ul-Islam mosque built before 1300AD. He conceived this tower to be two times higher than Qutb Minar in proportion with the enlarged mosque. The construction was however abandoned, just after the completion of the 25-metre-high (82 ft) first-story core; soon after the death of Alauddin in 1316, and never taken up by his successors of Khalji Dynasty. The first storey of the Alai Minar, a giant rubble masonry core, still stands today, which was evidently intended to be covered with dressed stone later on. Noted Sufi poet and saint of his times, Amir Khusro in his work, Tarikh-i-Alai, mentions Ala-ud-din's intentions to extend the mosque and also constructing another minar.

This minaret is located in the Qutub Complex in the Mehrauli area of Delhi. This minaret was planned to be built by Alauddin Khilji, which was decided to be twice as high as this minaret, but its construction stopped at the first floor at 24.5 meters due to sudden reasons.