Qutb Minar, Delhi, India

India, and especially its capital region of Delhi, is known for its sandstone structures from forts to palaces to temples – but the Qutb Minar stands above them all. Rising to 75.5 metres, the tower was built at the turn of the 13th century by the Ghurid dynasty, a Central Asian power that had just seized control of northern India bringing Islamic customs. The Qutb Minar served as both a symbol of their victory (a short-lived one, as their rule was upended by the year 1215) and as a minaret: a tall structure from which a muezzin performs the call to prayer. Today the tower itself is closed for entry, but its grounds are a popular tourist attraction open to visitors of all faiths.