Most of the early settlements of Delhi, including its first cities, are to be found not in "Old Delhi" but in SOUTH DELHI , the area south of Connaught Place and Rajpath. Although the rapid expansion of suburban Delhi is swallowing up the countryside, the area remains littered with monuments from the past, and pockets of almost untouched rural peace make it a fascinating blend of the contemporary, the pastoral and the historic. This mix of urban and rural is at its most startling in the housing enclaves and shopping precincts, such as the fashionable Hauz Khas , that have sprung up over the last few years throughout the vast area of South Delhi.

 

While the first Muslim kingdoms built their cities on the foundations of those settlements they conquered, shaping the Qutb Minar Complex , later dynasties created their own capitals at Siri, Tughluqabad , and Jahanpanah as well as Firozabad, north along the river, and Shergarh , around the Purana Qila . Humayun's Tomb , which heralded the great Moghul period in architecture, is not far from the elegant Lodi Gardens and one of the holiest shrines of Sufism, Hazrat Nizamuddin . Today, the chaotic and rampant development of South Delhi has engulfed many of its ancient monuments leaving some to rack and ruin and others isolated deep within urban sprawl. Only the most spectacular and robust of Delhi's monuments are protected from the city's immutable urge to grow.