Alai Darwaza, Qutab Minar, Qutab Complex, New Delhi, India
The Alai Darwaza is a magnificent gateway built by Ala-ud-din Khilji of the Delhi Sultanate, having exquisite inlaid marble decorations and latticed stone screens. It highlights the remarkable artisanship of Turkish and local artisans who worked on it. The Alai Darwaza was an essential part of the project to decorate the Qutab complex. The assimilation of exotic and indigenous architectural styles was possible due to various factors: the Muslim rulers had to use, in most cases, Indian craftsmen and sculptors who were schooled in their own art traditions. Though both the Indian and Islamic styles have their own distinctive features, some common characteristics made fusion and adaptation easy. Both styles favor ornamentation, and buildings of both styles are marked by the presence of an open court encompassed by chambers or colonnades.
About the image: The plinth on each side is beautifully carved with floral and geometric patterns in white marble and red sandstone, creating a superb polychrome effect. Perforated latticework window screens are set in the recessed windows on both sides of the entrances. The most charming aspect is the lace-like interweaving of floral tendrils, repeated with flawless symmetry.
A Persian inscription at the site suggests it required the destruction of 27 Hindu and Jain temples to furnish the building material for construction. The entire Qutab Minar complex was believed to have been established after demolishing temples and Sanskrit schools.
