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DELHI ESCORT TRAVEL GUIDE
THE SHAPE OF THE CITY SKYLINE
Rome was built on seven hills. Delhi is commonly said to have been built on seven cities, although sticklers would probably place that figure closer to 16. Either way, it has had many incarnations. Few of them carried the city's name, and many left little behind. Of Indraprastha, the first proto- Delhi, only pottery shards remain, as the site was reused by reth-century Moghul emperor Humayun for his citadel and is now home to the exquisite remains of Pur ana Qila (off Mathura Road). Others left a visible imprint too, mostly religious buildings, tombs and palaces. Safdarjung (Aurobindo Marg), Lodi Garden (see P092), Qutab Minar (see pOI2), the historic structures on Chandni Chowk (see POI4) - the relics of Delhi's past are scattered all over.
The bigger sites are wrapped in a protective belt of park, though most have simply been swallowed up by the city's growth. In a few whimsical cases, such as the Sabz Burj (Dr Zakir Hussain Marg), they have become the centrepiece of traffic roundabouts. The 'graveyard of empires' or, as Lord Curzon once called it, the 'dead seat of Muslim kings', Delhi has always been known for its architectural bones. Curzon thought the new capital a colossal waste of money and vehemently opposed it, but wasn't ultimately able to do more than object. In that, we are fortunate, for it was the British who left Delhi some of the most impressive bones of all.
Qutab Minar
Begun in 1202 and probably finished around 30 years later, this extraordinary red sandstone tower was said to I ink the earth to heaven. The 72.5m structure has a rather disproportionate bulge to its lower levels, but it is easy to appreciate the aweit must have inspired at the time. Fluted and divided into five sections by filigreed balconies, the heavily carved surface is
a synthesis of Indian decorative elements
and inscriptions of Koranic verses. It seems to have been built more to commemorate the Moghul victory over the Rajputs than as a minaret, for which it was simply too high. The top was destroyed by lightning in 1368 and replaced by two smaller sections, built mostly from white marble. The base of the even larger but never-completed Alai Minar is located a little to the north.
Jama Masjid
Built by Shah Jahan as the mosque for Friday prayers, the 17th-century Jama Masjid is one of the jewels of Old DelhL The domes are clad in white marble, but the main prayer hall and the delicate open arcades are carved out of a pinkred sandstone that gradually changes hue throughout the day, from a dun colour at noon to a deep rose at sunset.