#ghorid

[along-the-silkroad]

The fortress of Shahr-e Zuhak. Shahr-e Zuhak or Zuhak City (Dari: شهر ضحاک), also known as The Red City, is a historic city ruins in Bamyan, Afghanistan which was once home to 3,000 people. The fortress is believed to have been founded between 500 and 600 AD by the Hephthalites, around the same time as the Buddhas of Bamyan were carved into rock in the Bamiyan valley. The city lies at the easternmost point of the Bamyan valley, above the confluence of the Kunduz and Kalu Ganga rivers. The valley used to be a part of a route connecting Europe to India and China. Zuhak was fortified during the Islamic period (10th - 13th century), under the rule of the Ghaznavid and Ghorid dynasties. The fortress was later ransacked by Genghis Khan and his army during the Siege of Bamyan, as a part of the greater invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire.

[along-the-silkroad]

Detail of Delhi's Victory Tower, Ghurid, early 13th century. The Qutb Minar—also spelled Qutub or Qutab Minar—is a towering minaret and victory monument that forms part of the Qutb complex, located on the site of Delhi's oldest fortified city, Lal Kot, established by the Tomar Rajputs. Situated in the Mehrauli area of South Delhi, India, it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Construction began around 1199 and continued until 1220, resulting in a structure with 399 steps that remains one of Delhi's most visited heritage landmarks. The tower's construction was initiated by Qutb-ud-din Aibak following his victory over Prithviraj Chauhan, the last Hindu ruler of Delhi before the Ghurid conquest, symbolizing the start of Islamic rule in the region. Aibak completed only the first level, with subsequent rulers of the Delhi Sultanate continuing the work. In 1368, Firuz Shah Tughlaq reconstructed the upper sections and added a cupola.