Chor Minar in Delhi was built by Alauddin Khilji to display heads of killed invading mongols
Watch the video
The Chor Minar, tucked away in a quiet neighbourhood near Laxman Public School, dates back to the Khalji period (late 13th-early 14th century). It's not a huge monument, just a single tower very reminiscent of the kos minars that mark the Grand Trunk Road. It's broader and taller than a kos minar, though, with a spiral staircase leading up to the roof on the inside of the tower. The outside of the tower is pockmarked with holes, and this is where the name of the tower is derived from. The legend goes that the decapitated heads of thieves (and, presumably other criminals) were placed in these holes to be publicly
exposed, and to thus act as a deterrent.
You can go inside the circular enclosure that houses the tower, but you can't go upstairs. No fee is charged
21 янв 2024
