Qutub Minar, Delhi's great stone tower

The Qutub Minar (pronounced kuh'-tub mee-'nahr), or the Tower of Qutub, is the tallest freestanding stone tower in the world (approx. 250 feet). It's also very old - just a shade over 800 years old, to be precise. Qutub-id-din, an Afghan warrior prince, invaded northern India and captured Delhi near the end of the 12th century. He built a large palace complex to the south of the city that included India's first mosque, as well as this tower. The Qutub Minar eventually served as his mausoleum, not to mention as an excellent perch for spotting potential invaders.