Hauz Khas Complex

Hauz Khas, the Royal Tank, began as a reservoir dug under Alauddin Khalji (1296–1316) to supply his new city of Siri, and was first called Hauz-i-Alai. It once covered about 50 hectares. Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1351–88) had it desilted and its inlet channels cleared, then lined its edge with a mosque, a madrasa and pavilions, and his own tomb sits at the corner of the L-shaped range overlooking the water.

The tank has shrunk through silting and encroachment but is kept in good order, and domed tombs from the 14th to 16th centuries are scattered around. Since the 1980s the adjoining Hauz Khas Village has grown into a busy area of galleries, boutiques and restaurants, so a visit can pair medieval ruins with a modern neighbourhood in south Delhi.