Humayun's Tomb in Delhi

A must-see during your travel to New Delhi, the Humayun's Tomb is not only an excellent example of early Mughal architecture, but in many ways, it is the predecessor of the magnificent Taj Mahal. This quiet but splendid edifice was the last resting place of the second Mughal emperor, who strived all his life to be in Delhi, the city he loved.

The tomb of the Mughal emperor Humayun reflects the traditional Islamic style of architecture-with a bulbous dome, geometric patterns, high arches, spire, lattice stone windows, geometric proportions, etc. This building is set in the center of a charbagh or four-garden plan, which is further divided into smaller geometric sections by a network of water channels and fountains-a reflection of Persian influence, which had been adopted by the Mughals.

Humayun's chief Persian queen Haji or Bega Begum is said to have built this tomb. It is mentioned in historical texts that it took Mirak Miraz Ghiyas (the chief architect) eight to nine years to build the tomb of Humayun, which was probably completed in 1569-70. However, some historians are of the view that Humayun's son Akbar, who himself was a great builder, may have lent his genius in the making of the first great Mughal mausoleum. As the building of the tomb started some years after the emperor's death, Humayun's body was temporarily buried in Sher Mandal, the library he loved and where he fell to his death.

Travel to New Delhi will revel to tourists that the tomb of Humayun is New Delhi's Taj Mahal. An architectural wonder, this large red sandstone octagonal burial structure is ornamented with white and black marble and is decorated with geometrical patterns, high arches, and chhatris (small domed canopies, supported by pillars). The edifice is crowned with a massive 42.5-m-high white marble dome surmounted with a spire. The mausoleum rises from two large platforms one above the other connected with a flight of stairs. Set in the center of a sprawling square garden once sustained by the waters of the River Yamuna, the tomb, rising to an impressive height, stands in regal physical isolation. Its imperial beauty is spellbinding.

This grand sepulcher monument holds several records. It was the forerunner of the incomparable Taj Mahal. And it was the first garden tomb of the Mughals - the first mature expression of the four-quartered garden concept which became the typical pattern of a Mughal garden first introduced by Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty. The tomb of Humayun was also the first substantial expression of the grandeur of Mughal rule.