AtlasIslamica
Madrasa

Madrasa and Tomb of Alauddin Khalji

One of the four surviving pre-Mughal madrasas in India, The madrasa is the first example of a tomb within a madrasa to be built in India

New Delhi, India

Coordinates: 28.523879, 77.184558

Madrasa of Alauddin Khalji is a madrasa (Islamic school) located in the Qutb Minar complex, Mehrauli, Delhi, India.

The madrasa was built by Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khalji in 1315. The tomb attributed to Alauddin Khalji is located in the central room of the southern wing of the L-shaped madrasa in Qutb Minar complex, Delhi.

The Tomb of Alauddin Khilji (or Khalji) was constructed in honor of this powerful emperor who ruled an empire that included much of India and other surrounding areas.

This is the first instance of such tomb-madrasa combination in India.

It is located south west of the Qutub Minar and Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque.

The tomb is 7 by 4 feet. The tomb does not have any headstone or inscription.

The tombs in the central and western rooms were discovered during excavations conducted in the early 1900s. It is the first example of a tomb within a madrasa to be built in India. This is a feature of Seljuk architecture.

According to many malfoozat (sayings of Sufi saints), the tomb was a site of pilgrimage and people used to tie threads to seek fulfillment of their wishes.

After the release of Padmaavat, a 2018 film about Khilji’s life, the number of visitors to the tomb has increased.

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