Kutub Minar, Delhi

Samuel Bourne no. 1370. This photograph depicts the Qutb Minar and a portion of the iwan of the Quwwat ul'Islam Mosque in Merauli, south of New Delhi. The focus of the image is the tiered, sandstone minaret that towers at a height of 240 feet above the southern skyline of Delhi. The minar is shown with two other structures, the central arch of an iwan entranceway to its left and the ruins of a small hypostyle structure in the foreground. As in the case of other Bourne images, figures have been posed in the foreground to give a sense of scale. These monuments rest upon a low horizon line and are framed by dark, bushy foliage on either side and a domed building to the back, right. The photograph has suffers from staining and light exposure, its bluish tones have completely transformed into brown hues.