Razia Sultan was the first Muslim woman ruler of Delhi in the medieval period. Daughter of Iltutmish whose tomb is in the Mehrauli area of Delhi very close to the Qutub Minar.
To reach the tomb, I took the Delhi metro yellow line and deboarded at Chandani Chowk then piled up in a tuk-tuk for INR 10 to reach the Jama Masjid and walked on the lane opposite the south gate of the mosque to wade my way through narrow lanes like these.
The main street is crowded and lined up with the best food stalls in old Delhi ranging from Shahi Tukda, Rabdi, Kheer, Biryani, Tandoor items to Sheermal.
Although the Googe Maps location is accurate the GPS won’t work in the narrow and congested lanes of Chandani Chowk, so it is best to remember the map and find direction or ask for directions from the locals.
As a tip, I would suggest asking older-looking men those typically with long white beards since the new generation have no clue about Razia Sultan or her tomb in the area.
Also, ask for the Amrud wali gali or the Amrud Wali Masjid mosque and the tomb is in the lane right opposite the little mosque. A board indicating the tomb also exists outside the Amrud wali mosque.
The narrow road opens up in a space that is barely 20 ft x 20 ft and has 2 tombs adjacent to each other along with a little space for prayers in the mosque of Sufi saint Turkman shah Bayabani the spiritual guru of Razia Sultan.
Raziya’s father ltutmish was a slave and rose to become the king solely on merit, hence also firmly believed in having a successor who was able. Razia was far better than her brother who was the heir apparent to the throne so Iltutumish chose Razia to be the next Sultan or the king of Delhi.
But Razia’s relation with a black African slave and also the opposition from the courtiers for a woman to be the head of the state led to a war of succession.
It is believed that though Razia won initially and ruled for some time, she had was forced to flee with the African slave never to return to Delhi again.
As a result, there are about 4-5 other tombs of Razia Sultan in the adjoining area though the one in Delhi is considered to be authentic.
Outside the narrow entrance, there is some space for Waju before the prayers.
Accessibility Features
Accessibility features are virtually non-existent and due to the narrow lanes, it is almost impossible to take a wheelchair.
Also, the entrance to the tomb is no leveled with the road hence not accessible.
Here’s a snapshot:
Ramp access.
A wheelchair-accessible Entrance.
A wheelchair-accessible Restroom/Toilet.
A wheelchair-accessible Parking.