The first acquaintance. Fortresses

you are: the First acquaintance

The remained ancient mosques, the mausoleums of sultans; their wives and military leaders, a fortress-here basically that Moslems with their love to magnificence in architecture have brought to India.

By the end of XII century Turkic conquerors - the Moslems approaching from the north, have overcome resistance of many induistskih the states. In 1196 Muslim military leader Kutb-ad-din Ajbak has entered Delhi and later has made its capital based by it Delhi sultanata. Moslems have seized all Jumna-Gangskoj plain, Bengal, have extended the power to the Central India and the Dean. And Muslim art has laid itself a way, thus, in the heart of India. It is necessary to notice, however, that it did not become in India something isolated and alien, and has merged with a multithousand-year Indian civilisation. Having incorporated all best of its achievements, it became its organic part.

I have begun The first acquaintance to last Delhi with visiting Kutb-Minara, one of the most surprising and oldest monuments of Muslim architecture in Delhi. A tower has started to build Kutb-hells-dynes Ajbak in 1199, and its successor Iltut-mysh has finished. In XIV century sultan Firoz Tuglak has reconstructed the top floor of a tower, having lifted it on height of 234 foots.

Early in the morning, hardly the first beams of the sun have highlighted tops of Delhi minarets, we already rushed on deserted still to streets from city centre, from Barakamby-roud, by Gate of India on the south. The city in these hours morning freshness was marvellously beautiful. Over streets on which we passed, crones of mighty trees as on a water smooth surface white stocky private residences floated on dewy lawns were almost closed, at crossroads on huge round beds opened towards to the sun the petals of thousand colours Kutb-Minar has appeared unexpectedly. Before us there was the harmonous pink tower which has directed in pure blueness of the morning sky. This tendency was up underlined ridge, gofreobraznoj by the form of its walls. Special elegance to a construction was given by four rims of openwork balconies. And, despite the fact that what minaret building proceeded one and a half centuries, it is sustained in uniform architectural style.

Near to Kutb-Minarom ruins of the mosque constructed in XII century Kuvvat-ul-Islam have remained. It was the mosque first in India, and vozdvignuta it was on the basis induistskogo a temple, fancifully having united features induistskoj and Muslim architecture. It as though symbolised the synthesis which has developed then of two cultures in uniform national Indian culture.