Qowwat Al-Islam Mosque and Qotb Minar (Indelible Heritage of QolamShahids (Mamalik) Dynasty in South of India)

Qowwat Al-Islam Mosque and Qotb Minar، as two architectural monuments، indicate the beginning of the cultural influence of Islam on ancient land of India. The process of evolution in construction of these two buildings indicates that architects and constructors have utilized native architectural elements of India as well as Persian architecture during the middle Islamic centuries. This paper examines historical aspects، architectural elements and the decoration of these two buildings using descriptive- analytic method. Also، it presents comparative study and analyses the cause and effect of Islamic architecture in two cultural regions of Iran and India. This paper would answer this question: what are the architectural evidences that indicate the effects of cultural regions of Iran and Afghanistan on Qotb Minar architecture in three sections of function، structure and concept? The results of this research prove that the construction of Qowwat Al-Islam Mosque and Qotb Minar was known as the first historical experience of Muslims on Islamic architecture in India and mostly was according to Persian- Indian architecture pattern. According to authors، besides its religious and political function، Qotb Minar used to be a security place to control the city of Delhi more، since its height helped to control the surrounding area.