The Architecture of Delhi dates back more than a thousand years. As the capital of several great empires of India, including Rajput kingdom,

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).

, Mughal Empire, and British Raj, the city of Delhi has been a centre for art and architecture.

Rajput Kingdom

File:Agrasen ki Baoli 3.jpg, Agrasen ki Baoli File:Outer Wall of Lal kot and Rai Pithora.jpg, Qila Rai Pithora The few surviving structures from before the

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).

period include Agrasen ki Baoli, Surajkund reservoir, Lal Kot and Qila Rai Pithora. There were several temples built during this period, remnants of which are still present in Qutb complex. rajput is derived from the Hindi word "rajputra" meaning "the son of the ruler"

Delhi Sultanate

File:Qminar.jpg, The Qutub Minar is the world's tallest brick

minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...

at 72.5 metres, built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak of the

Slave dynasty Slave dynasty may refer to: *Mamluk dynasty (Delhi) (1206–1290) *Mamluk Sultanate The Mamluk Sultanate ( ar, سلطنة المماليك, translit=Salṭanat al-Mamālīk), also known as Mamluk Egypt or the Mamluk Empire, was a state that r ...

in 1192 CE. File:Alauddin's Madrasa, Qutb complex.jpg,

Alauddin Khilji Alaud-Dīn Khaljī, also called Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji (), born Ali Gurshasp, was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrative ...

's ''madrasa'' and Tomb in the Qutb complex. File:Tomb of Ghayasuddin Tughluq - Delhi.jpg, Tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughluq within the Tughlaqabad Fort. File:Jahaz Mahal on the bank of Hauz-i-Shamsi.jpg, Jahaz Mahal is built during the Lodi dynasty period (1452–1526) as a pleasure resort. File:Shish Gumbad in Lodhi garden 12.jpg The

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).

ruled the city between 1206 and 1526. Their rule saw the development of early Indo-Islamic architecture, the most prominent being the Qutb Minar complex, a group of monuments surrounding the Qutb Minar. This period also saw building of many forts and cities like Siri Fort, Tughlaqabad and Feroz Shah Kotla. Many tombs were built around this period which are still present in many locations like Qutb Minar complex,

Hauz Khas Complex Hauz Khas Complex in Hauz Khas, South Delhi houses a water tank, an Islamic seminary, a mosque, a tomb and pavilions built around an urbanized village with medieval history traced to the 13th century of Delhi Sultanate reign. It was part of Sir ...

and Lodi Gardens.

Mughal Empire

File:Red Fort in Delhi 03-2016 img3.jpg, The Red Fort was commissioned by Mughal Emperor

Shah Jahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...

in the 17th century, it was the main residence of the Mughal emperors for nearly 200 years. File:RedFort DiwanIAm Inside.JPG, Diwan-i-Am (Red Fort) File:Humayuntomb.JPG, Humayun's Tomb is considered a predecessor to the Taj Mahal. File:Jama Masjid - In the Noon.jpg, The Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India. File:Tomb of Safdarjung.jpg, Safdarjung's Tomb was built in 1754 in the late Mughal architectural style for Nawab Safdarjung. Mughal Architecture emerged as a form of Indo-Islamic architecture during the rule of the Mughal Empire. Mughal architecture is characterized by large bulbous onion domes, the use of white marble and red sandstone, delicate ornamentation work, and large buildings surrounded by gardens on all four sides. The Humayun's Tomb is the first notable example of Mughal architecture in Delhi. Except for a few architectures like Humayun's Tomb and Purana Qila, most of the architectural work of this period was done in

's time or later. This period also saw building of 18th century Astronomical Observatory called Jantar Mantar. Another important achievement of this period was building of Mughal gardens. Its design was inspired by Persian Char Bagh Gardens. Some gardens built during Mughal period are garden built in front of Humayun's Tomb,

Roshanara Bagh Roshanara Garden is a Mughal-era garden built by Roshanara Begum, the second daughter of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. It is situated in Shakti Nagar near Kamla Nagar Clock Tower and North Campus of University of Delhi. It is one of the b ...

, Qudsia Bagh and Garden built in Safdarjang's tomb complex.

British Colonial period

File:St. James Church 9.jpg, St. James' Church was designed in the Renaissance Revival style and completed in 1836. It is situated on a cruciform plan and consists of neoclassical style

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

es, with a

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

dome in the center. File:India Gate in New Delhi 03-2016.jpg, The India Gate is a triumphal arch and war memorial in the middle of New Delhi. It was designed by

Edwin Lutyens Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memori ...

and completed in 1921. File:New Delhi government block 03-2016 img6.jpg, alt=The Secreatariat Building was designed by Herbert Baker and completed in 1927., The Secretariat Building was designed by Herbert Baker and completed in 1927. File:Rashtrapati Bhavan flank perspective1.jpg, The Rashtrapati Bhawan was the residence of the British Viceroy, and now serves as the residence of the President of India. It was designed by

and completed in 1929. File:Connaught Place New Delhi.jpg, Connaught Place was designed in the Georgian style by Robert Tor Russell, and completed in 1933. After Delhi was declared the site for a new capital of India, George V laid the foundation of New Delhi, which would serve as the capital. The British invited

and Herbert Baker to design the government buildings. This area would also be called Lutyens' Delhi in honor of the architect. Members of Lutyens' team of architects included Walter Sykes George, Arthur Gordon Shoosmith and Henry Medd. It is reported that Lutyens was reluctant to incorporate Indian features in his style, but later conceded.

Post-Independence

File:Supreme_Court_of_India,_inside_bulidings_01_(cropped).jpg, The

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...

was designed by Ganesh Bhikaji Deoalikar and completed in 1958. Its style was inspired by the Lutyens-

Baker A baker is a tradesperson who bakes and sometimes sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Since grains ha ...

buildings. File:Pragati Maidan, Hall 6.JPG, The

Hall of Nations Hall of Nations was an exhibition hall that was inaugurated in 1972 as part of the Pragati Maidan exhibition complex in New Delhi, India. History It was designed by the Indian architect Raj Rewal, and structurally engineered by Mahendra Raj ...

, designed by Raj Rewal and completed in 1972 was regarded as one of the best examples of modernist architecture in India. It was demolished in 2017, despite several protests. File:New Delhi Municipal council building, Connaught Place.jpg, The New Delhi Municipal Council Building was designed in the

brutalist Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by Minimalism (art), minimalist constructions th ...

style by Kuldip Singh, and completed in 1984. File:IMG 20170901 134047 - Copy - Copy.jpg, The Lotus Temple was designed by Faribohrz Sahba and completed in 1986. Its design was inspired by the shape of a

lotus Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...

. The

was designed by Ganesh Bhikaji Deolalikar in the same style as that of the other major buildings in Lutyens' Delhi. However, modernist architecture became prevalent in Delhi as well as all over India, especially after the influence of

Le Corbusier Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , , ), was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture. He was ...

. After Independence, the best examples of modern architecture in Delhi include IIT Delhi (1961) by Jugal Kishore Chodhury,

(1972) and Asian Games Village (1982) by Raj Rewal, Palika Kendra building (1984) by Kuldip Singh, and Lotus Temple (1986) by Fariborhz Sahba. In 2017, the demolition of the

received worldwide condemnation from architectural enthusiasts. It was considered to be one of the best examples of modernist architecture in India.

References

{{Architecture of India Architecture in India Delhi Architecture in India by city