Archway of 12th-century Qutub mosque restored in Delhi

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has completed conservation work on the archway of the 12th century Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in the Qutub Minar complex, officials aware of the matter said.

Built of red sandstone, buff stone, and grey stone, the archway had eroded significantly since conservation work was last carried out in 1964. The stones were damaged in some parts, and had fallen in others, the officials said.

“New stones have been installed and the ceiling has been fixed. We ensured we used the original colours to maintain the continuity of the pattern,” said Praveen Singh superintending archaeologist, ASI (Delhi circle).

Conservation architect Misbah Noorie, ASI’s in-charge of the Qutub Minar complex, said work on the archway started this March and took around six months to complete.

The conservation body used dowels (cylindrical pins) made of copper instead of iron to keep the stones’ structural integrity intact. Iron dowels were used during the previous conservation drives, damaging parts of the red archway over the years, said Noorie.

The damaged portions of the arches were repaired using patchwork technique.

“The damaged ceiling has made seepage a big problem. We used lime concrete on the ceiling to fix the problem areas. In addition to the ceiling, we also carried out work on the front of the archway where buff stone, red sandstone, and greystone were used,” Noorie added.

The construction of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque was started in 1193 by Qutb-ud-din-Aibak, the founder of the Mamluk dynasty, and was completed in 1196, according to the Gazetteer of the Delhi District (1883-84).

The mosque was enlarged during the reign of subsequent rulers Iltutumish and Alaudding Khilji. The prayer hall of the mosque comprises an archway with five arches bearing inscriptions from the Quran and intricate carvings and stones which will be conserved by ASI.

“The ornamental stones engraved on the arch have come off. We used the original stones and replicated the same design to plug the gaps. The archway has gained strength due to the work that we undertook,” said Noorie.

Following the completion of work at Quwwat-ul-Islam, ASI will repair stone slabs and carvings on the Alai Darwaza in the Qutub Minar complex.

Alai Darwaza serves as the southern gateway to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. It was constructed during Khilji’s reign during the 14th century (1310-11).

“We will also initiate conservation at Alai Darwaza soon,” said Singh.

ASI officials said that they were focusing on core conservation and taking up projects that need urgent attention. Before the conservation work at the mosque, ASI carried out renovation and repair on the cupola at Qutub Minar —Smith’s Folly, a red-sandstone structure constructed by Robert Smith.

The cupola had sustained damage due to rust and ASI carried out the work over a period of 10 months.