Starting Off With History!

Our Craftours India group with our fantastic guide Ajay at The Qutb Minar!

We may look bright eyed and bushy tailed, but we had just arrived the previous afternoon. After a good night's rest we were ready to get on the bus and get some exploration and knowledge building in.

One of the things I love about international travel is the exposure to things from history that I never knew about. Literally. India's history goes way back and there is so much to learn, including being conquered, fought back for freedom, conquered again, and then colonized by the British for a 100 year or so rule.

Way back in history, the Qutb Minar was mostly built between 1199 and 1220, contains 399 steps, and is one of the most frequented heritage spots in the city of Delhi.

We were already having a fabulous time, and just getting started on our explorations. 

The Qutb Minar in Delhi is a 240-foot victory tower and minaret built in the 12th and 13th centuries to mark the start of Muslim rule in India.

This year with travel to Morocco, and also to Romania I have learned a thing or two about takeovers.

The decorations allowed in Islam are florals, plants, and geometric patterns. Nothing with a face. No human or animal figures.

Kind of the same way that the Amish don't do photographs, or have faces on their dolls.

So when take-overs happened, all of the icons of the Hindus were defaced and wiped out. No representations of gods or goddesses anywhere. Gone.

The tower and the nearby Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque were built using the carved stone pillars and materials of destroyed Hindu and Jain temples.

I guess you can call it recycling in a way.  Use what you have at hand.  Even if it is tearing down someone else's temples.

It was a great day for photography! Look at that sky!

Close up of Arabic writing on the walls.

Over the centuries, the tall tower suffered damage from lightning strikes and earthquakes.

Trying to imagine the lives that crossed this place.  What were they doing? What were their lives like?

And then there was THIS guy!

This was a great spot for really fun photography.

In 1368, after lightning destroyed the upper stories, Firuz Shah Tughlaq repaired the damage and rebuilt the top tiers of the tower using white marble and red sandstone.

The Lodi dynasty and later British restorers also repaired and altered parts of the structure, including adding balconies and a cupola.

I would have loved to have seen what this place looked like when it was originally built - before the weathered walls were left standing in ruins.

Can you imagine people from long ago walking through these arches?

There is something so amazing about ancient spaces and places.

From the UNESCO Heritage website:

"The 13th-century square tomb of Iltutmish in the north-western part of Quwwatu’l-Islam marks the beginning of the tradition of constructing royal tombs, a practice followed as late as the Mughal era in India. The tomb-chamber is profusely carved with inscriptions and geometrical and arabesque patterns associated with Saracenic tradition. Expansions made by Allaudin Khilji to the existing ensemble between 1296 and 1311 reflect the power wielded by the monarch."

And this was just the beginning of our journey together.

Photos from every angle just to capture this space.

I vaguely remember that this was a "newer" minaret being built but was stopped somehow. Whether by death, or by earthquake, I don't remember. Something happened here over 700 years ago.  It's all so unfathomable.

If the people from 700 years ago could see us now - and what is going on in the world, what would they think?

I spent yesterday visiting with the ladies at the Inn.  September Quiltvillians 2.0 is in full swing - they checked in on Wednesday afternoon.  I asked them to please forgive anything the men folk missed while getting the retreat ready in-between groups.  I think they did a pretty good job!

And yesterday's  Goose Feathers  pattern release and gift-away is off to a grand start!

Did you get your entry in on the gift-away post?

I'll be drawing for 2 winners who will each receive a Goose Feathers PDF pattern from me and an Aqua color roll from our friends at Cotton to Quilts.

Intro pricing: I have placed Goose Feathers at 25% off in the Quiltville Store through 9/30/26. No coupon needed!

*NOTE* I am still in the midst of the website debacle and am having to create new links for the store. If you saved my old bookmark, please update to the new one. You can also get to EVERYTHING by simply going to my main website at Quiltville.com. You can click the store link there.

Last night was another "go to bed at 8pm" night - the jet lag is real.  And I forgot to take a sleep aid so I was back up at 1:15am. There was no going back to sleep.  Too late (or early in the morning) to take anything. I finally forced myself up around 7am for a shower and a coffee but I am thinking there will be a nap to get me through today, and a sleep aid tonight to make sure I stay asleep the whole time.

Sewing today? Maybe! It's going to take the weekend at least to get things back in order around here.

Anything fun happening for your weekend? Its nearly fall!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Feeling all kinds of ways about this right now.

 
I cried when I saw the video of a crowd of Americans singing America the Beautiful around the Kennedy Center last night in an effort to protect it.

 
Welcome to the weekend, everyone -