Delhi has attracted one and all – be they writers, poets or musicians. The city’s history is much more intense than just entertaining or interesting. The city is filled with more beautiful and underrated. The list goes much beyond Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Lal Qila and Jama Masjid.
The beauty of these forgotten and faded-in-time monuments is that they fasten and bind one generation to another. They are lying unnoticed because of the increasing civilisation in the city.
The capital is a well-known destination in India for its historical monuments and significance. Although some of them have waned with time and are unknown to people.
From the list of numerous monuments, let’s talk of some of the best historical monuments that every travel enthusiast or historian must visit.
Source: Make My Trip
1. Ala-i-Minar
Near the famous Qutub Minar of Delhi, the Alai Minar is an unfinished circular monument that visitors would easily miss. It is a grand tower in the Qutub Complex, the construction of which was started by Alauddin Khilji. it was built around 1300 CE and was Khilji’s vanity project to mark the victory of his army who conquered many kingdoms across India. He was so proud of his glorious achievements that he became adamant to outdo Qutub Minar.
Construction of the Alai Minar came to a halt in 1316 following the death of Alauddin Khilji. Today the Alai Minar, a massive red rubble structure stands at a height of 2.5 metres. Today all we see is just a rough-edged circular mass that has a story to say.
Source: Times of India
2. Razia-al-Din Tomb (Razia Sultan’s Tomb)
Razia Sultan, Delhi Sultanate’s first and only woman ruler’s tomb lies unpretentious and unattended near Turkman Gate in Chandni Chowk. This tomb is like the city’s own little secret which very few people are aware. The iron-grilled gate that marks the entrance of the tomb is left unseen due to urbanisation.
Some local residents have turned it into a living place of worship and come to offer namaz every Friday. The tomb lies very close to Sitaram Bazaar and Kalan Masjid
Source: flickr
3. Jamali Kamali Tomb and Mosque
Built in 1528 by Shaikh Fazl al-Allah, also known as Jamali. The tomb is located in the Archaeological complex in Mehrauli, the monument comprises a mosque adjacent to the tombs of the Jamali and Kamali. This place is a must-visit for supernatural enthusiasts as it is believed to be heavily haunted by Jinns.
There is another tomb adjacent to the mosque which is a flat structure adorned with red and blue paint and inscriptions from the Quran and verses from Jamali’s poems.
Source: So City
4. Iltutmish Tomb
Built-in the name of Iltutmish in 1235 A.D, this simple-looking tomb has a beautiful entrance carved with geometrical patterns. The monument has three entrances with the western wall facing Mecca. The tomb is located within the Qutub Minar complex, Mehrauli, Iltutmish Tomb is the mausoleum of Shams ud-Din Iltutmish.
There are three prayer niches inside the tomb that are known as mihrabs. The white marble cenotaph is placed on a raised platform in the centre of the chamber that is decorated with motifs.
Source: Flickr
5. Feroz Shah Kotla
The world knows about the stadium, but only a few have heard about the monument that is Feroz Shah Kotla. This is another beautiful ruin that has survived with time and remains unnoticed. Built in the 13th century by Feroz Shah Tughlaq, and is believed that this antiquated structure is the house of genies who can grant wishes.
The Mughals built this fort when they decided to shift their capital from Tughlakabad to Firozabad because of a shortage of water in that region.
Source: Flickr
6. Ghalib Ki Haveli
Lost in the chaos of Chandni Chowk, Mirza Ghalib’s 300-year-old haveli is a forgotten treasure. It was home to a well-known Urdu poet, Mirza Ghalib. The haveli gives you a glimpse of Ghalib’s hand-written books, translated couplets, letters, and personal belongings on display.
The architecture of the haveli is also truly admirable and includes the typical lakhori (kiln-fired) bricks and the overhanging eaves (chhajjas) of Mughal architecture.
Source: Holidify
7. Isa Khan Tomb
Isa Khan's tomb is located at the entrance to Humayun’s Tomb in Nizamuddin. The tomb was built between 1547-1548 by Isa Khan himself, who died a few months later. Isa Khan was the most trusted nobleman in the court of Sher Shah Suri because he helped him establish his empire in Delhi.
Isa Khan Tomb in the Humayun complex boasts grid windows and expansive verandahs. This pre-Mughal style tomb is a must-visit monument in Delhi as it is one of the best sunken garden-style tombs in India.
Delhi has numerous lesser-known monuments that rarely are talked about. So, must visit these monuments to know in detail their historical significance and to get the picturesque views.
Written by: Prabhveet Kaur
Edited by: Nidhi Jha
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