Tomb of Balban

The tomb of Ghiyas ud din Balban lies in Mehrauli Archaeological Park in south Delhi. Balban was one of the leading rulers of the Mamluk, or Slave, dynasty and governed the Delhi Sultanate from 1266 until his death in 1287, around when the tomb was built. The structure was only identified in the mid-20th century.

Built of rubble masonry and plain compared with the decorated tomb of Iltutmish, it matters for a different reason: the first Islamic arch in India appears here. Many believe it also had the country's first Islamic dome, but that has fallen, which leaves the Alai Darwaza of 1311 as the oldest dome still standing. Ruins of a large late-medieval settlement surround it, and some viewpoints frame the Qutub Minar. To the east is a ruined chamber said to hold Balban's son Muhammad, killed fighting the Mongols near Multan in 1285.