The region around Mehrauli is the oldest continously inhabited region in Delhi. Urban settlement in this area pre-dates the arrival of Islam, with Lal Kot being constructed by Anang Pal Tomar in the 11th century. Lal Kot grew into the fortified citadel Qila Rai Pithora during the rule of the Chauhans, who were defeated by Mohammed Ghori in 1192.
The Qutab Minar was built by Sultan Iltutmish along with the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque at the beginning of the 13th century and the Mehrauli village grew up around the grave of the revered Sufi saint Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki. Settlements extended all the way south of the village to Hauz-i-Shamsi, an artifical tank constructed by Iltutmish in 1230. Around this core urban area a large number of tombs, palaces, tanks, step wells, sarais, mosques and other buildings were constructed in the Sultanate, Khilji, Tughlaq, Lodhi, Suri, Mughal and British periods. As other cities were built at Jahanpanah, Siri, Tughlaqabad, Firoz Shah Kotla and Shahjahanabad, Mehrauli continued to be referred to as the original Delhi.
Modern Mehrauli consists of three distinct parts; the enclosed Qutub Complex, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the urban Mehrauli village centered around Bakhtiyar Kaki's dargah and the beautifully landscapedMehrauli Archaeological Park. This image gallery consists of monuments inside Mehrauli Archaeological Park including Sultan Balban's Tomb, Sohailwali Masjid, British follies, Rajon ki Baoli, Gandhak ki Baoli and several other ruined settlements in the park.
