page_title: Iron pillar of Delhi
section_title: Physical description
hierarchical_section_title: Iron pillar of Delhi / Physical description
caption_attribution_description: Iron Pillar erected by Chandragupta II Vikramaditya, within Qutb complex, Merauli, Delhi (file name incorrect)
context_page_description: The iron pillar of Delhi is a structure 23 feet 8 inches high with 16 inches diameter that was constructed by a "King Chandra", probably Chandragupta II, and now stands in the Qutb complex at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. It is famous for the rust-resistant composition of the metals used in its construction. The pillar weighs over six tonnes and is thought to have been erected elsewhere, perhaps outside the Udayagiri Caves, and moved to its present location early in the Delhi Sultanate.
context_section_description: The height of the pillar, from the top to the top of its base, is 7.21 m (23 ft 8 in), 1.12 m (3 ft 8 in) of which is below ground. Its bell pattern capital is 306 mm (12 in). It is estimated to weigh more than six tonnes (13,228 lb).
  The pillar has attracted the attention of archaeologists and materials scientists because of its high resistance to corrosion and has been called a "testimony to the high level of skill achieved by the ancient Indian iron smiths in the extraction and processing of iron". The corrosion resistance results from an even layer of crystalline iron(III) hydrogen phosphate hydrate forming on the high-phosphorus-content iron, which serves to protect it from the effects of the Delhi climate.
caption: The iron pillar stands within the courtyard of QuWwat-ul-Islam Mosque
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