TheMehrauli Archaeological Park is an archaeological area spread over 81 hectares (200 acres) in theMehrauli neighbourhood of theSouth Delhi district ofDelhi,India. The park is located adjacent to theWorld Heritage-listedQutub Minar and theQutb complex.
The park consists of over 100 historically significant monuments. It is the only area in Delhi known for 1,000 years of continuous occupation, and includes the ruins ofLal Kot, built by theTomar Rajputs in 1060CE, making it the oldest extant fort of Delhi, and architectural relics of subsequent period: the rule of theKhalji dynasty,Tughlaq dynasty,Lodhi dynasty ofDelhi Sultanate,Mughal Empire, and theBritish Raj.[1][2][3]
The park contains significant sites including:[4]
Other nearby monuments include theJahaz Mahal,Zafar Mahal ofBahadur Shah II aliasLal Mahal,Hauz-i-Shamsi andTomb of Adham Khan. Pillars and remains of several monuments, Jharna which is like a pleasure garden of late Mughals are also lay scattered in the park.[6]
The redevelopment of the area as an archaeological park and conservation of important structures started in 1997, in collaboration betweenDelhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), the State Department of Archaeology, theDelhi Development Authority (DDA) and theIndian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), which first started systematic documentation of structures in the area and also started conducting heritage walks since 2000.[1][7]
Over the years,INTACH has restored some 40 monuments in the park and added signages, heritage trails, and sandstone trail-markers.[5]
