Delhi is the capital of India, and it's also the travel hub of northern India. To stay there are plenty of luxury hotels and affordable too. It's an excellent base for visiting Agra and the Taj Mahal, and the Rajasthani colour of Jaipur is less than five hours away. If you're heading north to the Himalaya or east to the ghats of Varanasi, you'll probably pass through Delhi. So you might as well grit your teeth, hold your breath and dive on in.

To see Delhi then is to look into the glimpses of its past and the fine monuments and buildings its invaders have left through the centuries. The walls of the Qutab Minar and its surrounding areas make up the first city. First ruled by The Tomar kings in 1060 then taken over by the Rajput Chauhans in the 12th century, this area was taken over by Qutb-ud-din Aibak who captured Delhi in 1193 AD.

At the end of the 13th century the Khilji dynasty built their new capital at Siri - the second city of Delhi. Here, along with the historical remnants of the Khiljis, are new and modern buildings - the Asian Games Village and the Siri Fort Auditorium which bear witness to a different kind of history: the Asian Games in 1982.

The third city of Delhi, Tughlakabad, was built inside a great fortress with 13 outer gates. This huge structure was built over a span of just five years during the reign of Ghiyas-ud-din from 1321-25. His tomb is across the road from the main entrance to the fort. The fort itself was later abandoned, possibly because of the shortage of water.

The fourth city of Delhi, Jahanpanah, was built by Muhammed Bin Tughlak. But soon after it was built, Tughlak decided to transfer his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad in Deccan. It was a long and difficult march of 1120 kilometers. Many of his soldiers died in this march and when Tughlak had to finally concede his error in judgment, Delhi resumed its status as capital. Few remains of the fifth city of Ferozabad can be found today. This was built by Feroz Shah Tughlak in 1351, on the banks of the river Yamuna, and later demolished by Shah Jahan to build Shahjahanabad.