Iron Pillar of Delhi

Iron Pillar Of Delhi

The Iron Pillar located in Delhi, India, is a 7 m (23 ft) column in the Qutb complex, notable for the rust-resistant composition of the metals used in its construction.

The pillar has attracted the attention of archaeologists and metallurgists and has been called "a testament to the skill of ancient Indian blacksmiths" because of its high resistance to corrosion. The corrosion resistance results from an even layer of crystalline iron hydrogen phosphate forming on the high phosphorus content iron, which serves to protect it, and also the effects of the local Delhi climate, which alternates from wet to dry.

The name of the city of Delhi is thought to be based on a legend associated with the pillar (see History of Delhi).

Read more about Iron Pillar Of Delhi:  Description, Original Location, Inscriptions, Scientific Analysis

Famous quotes containing the words iron and/or pillar:

    I was even more surprised at the power of the waves, exhibited on this shattered fragment, than I had been at the sight of the smaller fragments before. The largest timbers and iron braces were broken superfluously, and I saw that no material could withstand the power of the waves; that iron must go to pieces in such a case, and an iron vessel would be cracked up like an egg- shell on the rocks.
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    Fame’s pillar here, at last, we set,
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