Chor Minar

Chor Minar, the 'Tower of Thieves', is a minaret of the 13th century standing near Aurobindo Marg in Delhi's Hauz Khas area. It was built under Alauddin Khalji, whose dynasty ruled from 1290 to 1320. Historians suggest he massacred a nearby settlement of Mongols to keep them from joining another Mongol community in Delhi, and during the raid of 1305 some 8,000 Mongol captives were put to death, their heads shown on towers around Siri.

The tower's walls are pierced with 225 holes. Local legend says the heads of thieves were displayed on spears through them as a warning, and that when there were more heads than holes, the lesser ones were stacked in a pyramid outside.