Alai Darwaza
The southern gateway of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque was extended by
Alauddin Khalji in 1311. The Alai Darwaza is the first through and
through Islamic building in character, architecture and ornamentation.
Its construction is painstakingly accurate, the decoration are the
politically correct geometric designs and is a typical Khali building.
It displays a certain Seljuqian influence, like in the huge dome with
a central knob, pointed arches shaped like horseshoes, and the
'lotus-bud' fringes of the arches.
¤ The Construction of Darwaza
The Darwaza is built of red sandstone with arched openings on all
sides. It is topped off by a wide but shallow dome rising from an
octagon-shaped base. The northern arch is semicircular, while the
others have the pointed 'true' arch horseshoe shape. The arch frames
are embellished with 'lotus-bud' designs, which are also seen in the
perforated screens on the sides of the gate. The gateway is very
skillfully decorated with complex carvings of the geometric patterns
and white marble bands of calligraphy.
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