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An excellent testimony of Indo-Islamic Architecture, Built-in the 16th century by the orders of Mughal Empress Bega Begum, wife of Mughal Emperor Humayun as a gesture of affection for her loving husband

After Emperor Humayun’s death, Bega Begum also known as Haji Begum called the Persian architects and told them to create something so fabulous that the world remembers it for ages to come. Humayun’s son and Mughal Emperor Akbar took this responsibility and got the tomb built as a token of remembrance to Humayun by his wife and son

Some interesting historical facts about the Mughal Emperor Humayun’s Tomb

  • After the death of Mughal Emperor Humayun on 27 January 1556, Mughal Emperor Humayun’s body was first buried in his palace in Purana Quila (Old fort) at Delhi. Thereafter it was taken to Sirhind, in Punjab by Khanjar Beg, and, in 1558; it was seen by Humayun’s son, the then Mughal Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar and Akbar subsequently visited the tomb in 1571, when it was about to be completed

  • The construction of Tomb began in 1565 and was completed in 1572; it cost 1.5 million rupees at that time, paid entirely by the Mughal Empress Bega Begum, who had been so grieved over her husband’s death that she had thenceforth dedicated her life to a sole purpose: the construction of a memorial to him than would be the most magnificent mausoleum in the Mughal Empire

  • According to Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century detailed document written during the reign of Akbar, Empress Bega Begum supervised the construction of the tomb after returning from Mecca and undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage

  • According to Abd al-Qadir Bada’uni, one of the few contemporary historians to mention the Tomb was designed by the famous Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas also known as Mirak Ghiyathuddin, who was selected by the Empress and brought from Afghanistan; he had previously designed several buildings in Herat (in Afghanistan), Bukhara (in Uzbekistan). Mirak Mirza Ghiyas died before the structure was completed and it was completed by his son, Sayyed Muhammad ibn Mirak Ghiyathuddin

  • An English merchant, William Finch, who visited the tomb in 1611, describes the rich interior furnishing of the central chamber. He mentions the presence of rich carpets, as well as a shamiana, a small tent above the cenotaph, which was covered with a pure white sheet, and with copies of the Quran in front along with Humayun’s sword, turban and shoes

The unique monument of Humayun’s Tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 1993

The exterior view of the Humayun’s Tomb is breathtaking as was the first garden tomb built in the Indian subcontinent and the first ever tomb to deploy a Persian double tomb in its construction. The scenic beauty of this historical and architectural marvelous leave people mesmerized

The Persian and Indian craftsmen worked together to build the massive garden tomb, far grander than any tomb built before in the Islamic world. Humayun’s garden tomb is built on a monumental scale, with the grandeur of design and garden setting with no precedence in the Islamic world for a mausoleum. Here for the first time, important architectural innovations were made including creating a char-bagh – a garden setting inspired by the description of paradise in the Holy Quran

The exterior view of the Humayun’s Tomb is breathtaking as was the first garden tomb built in the Indian subcontinent and the first ever tomb to deploy a Persian double tomb in its construction. The scenic beauty of this historical and architectural marvelous leave people mesmerized

 

The Tomb stands in an extremely significant archaeological setting, nearer to the Dargah Shrine of the Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Since it is considered auspicious to be buried near a saint’s grave, seven centuries of tomb building have led to the area becoming the densest ensemble of medieval Islamic heritage in India.

Humayun’s garden tomb is also called the ‘Dormitory of the Mughals’ as in the cells are buried over 100 Mughal family members. The interior is a large octagonal chamber with vaulted roof compartments interconnected by galleries or corridors. The grave of Mughal Emperor Humayun is located inside the central tomb and is surrounded by adjacent rooms that accommodate the tombs of two of his wives and the later Mughals. Since the graves are not inscribed their identification remains uncertain

The dome lying on top of the Humayun’s Tomb stands tall at 42.5 m and can be accessed through stairs. The design and architecture of Humayun’s Tomb are something not-to-be-missed for sure as its platforms are intertwined on top of each other that makes them delicate yet admirable

The monument’s interiors are extremely beautiful, A reflection of the architectural excellence of the Mughals, the Humayun’s Tomb interiors are made with rich and elegant carpets and shamiana which imparts the monument a grand and royal look

Humayun’s Tomb was the first of the grand dynastic mausoleums that were to become synonyms of Mughal architecture with the architectural style reaching its zenith 80 years later at the later Taj Mahal

Humayun’s Tomb stands within a complex that includes other contemporary, 16th-century Mughal garden tombs such as Nila Gumbad, Isa Khan’s Tomb, Bu Halima Garden, Afsarwala, Barber’s Tomb, and the complex where the craftsmen employed for the Building of Humayun’s Tomb stayed, the Arab Serai

Besides the main tomb enclosure of Humayun, several smaller monuments dot the pathway leading up to it, from the main entrance of the monument

The Isa Khan tomb complex is a walled area adjacent to Humayun’s Tomb and is the resting place of Isa Khan Niyazi, a noble of influence at the court of Sher Shan Suri. A mosque and an octagonal tomb built in the Sur style are enclosed in Isa Khan’s walled complex. An inscription on a sandstone slab over the mihrab inside the tomb dates the construction to the Hijra year 954 (A.D. 1547-1548). The complex is the first historic structure encountered by visitors upon entering the World Heritage Site complex of Humayun’s Tomb

The Isa Khan tomb complex  includes a beautiful historical mosque built in the Sur style enclosed in Isa Khan’s walled complex adjacent to Humayun’s Tomb

During the Mughal era (16th to 19th century) the practice of commissioning monuments received a fillip through the efforts of Mughal Empress Bega Begum with the construction of Humayun’s Tomb. This first eminent monumental mausoleum in India can be considered an early masterpiece that decisively influence the design of the later Taj Mahal, the high point of Indo-Islamic architecture

It is a popular belief that Humayun’s Tomb was the source of inspiration behind the conception of the Taj Mahal. As Humayun’s Tomb was built by Bega Begum in memory of her loving husband after his demise, Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got inspired to make something grand and monumental after his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal’s demise. Taj Mahal was built nearly a century later and draws major inspiration in design and architecture from Humayun’s Tomb

Many places in India are considered to be the most beautiful places on planet Earth and many Indian cities and towns with historical and architectural importance are considered to be the most visited places in the world, all these places are the ideal and best perfect destinations for charming holidays and experiences for the longest memories

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