Humayun's Tomb

FACTS & FIGURES

A MAGNIFICENT MAUSOLEUM

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.

ISLAMIC STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE

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 TOMB

The life of Humayun was full of vicissitudes. He became the Mughal emperor after the death of his father Babur (the founder of the Mughal empire) in 1530. Humayun established his capital in Delhi, but he could not rule there for long as Sher Shah Suri, an Afghan chieftain, who ruled eastern India, drove him out from Delhi and India. For some years, Humayun spent a life of exile in the court of the Persian ruler of Iran. He returned to Delhi after the death of Sher Shah Suri. However, he did not live long and died unexpectedly from a fall on January 24, 1556.

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.

The tomb of Humayun is Delhi’s Taj. 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 Yamuna, the tomb, rising to an impressive height, stands in regal physical isolation. Its imperial beauty is spellbinding.

The tomb of Humayun with its four-quartered (charbagh) garden divided by water channels with each section further subdivided into four squares by pathways is enclosed within a rubble-built wall. The enclosure is pierced with two monumental double story gateways that have gigantic arches. Anything like the Humayun’s tomb in respect of its site, plans, and scale of grandeur had not been earlier attempted. Infused with both Hindu and Persian ideas, the tomb of Humayun with high arches, screens, double dome and lotus symbols became a unique structure, a model for architectural works that were to follow.

Gradually ascending and assuming height, the first plinth that forms the main base of the structure is about 1.52 m high. The second or the main plinth is 6.10 m in height and has 72 arched alcoves or cells on all its four sides that are decorated with white marble borders. These arched rooms house numerous tombs of the royal family while the central mortuary room contains the real grave of the emperor. Surrounding the regal grave are adjacent rooms, which house the tombs of two of Humayun’s begums and the later Mughals.

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.

HOW TO REACH

Humayun’s tomb is located in the eastern part of Delhi near the Nizammudin railway station. Tourists can either take local buses from various points within the city, or, alternatively, they can hire auto-rickshaws and taxis for the purpose. There are regular buses from important bus termini like the Inter-State Bus Terminus at Kashmere Gate and Sarai Kale Khan and Connaught Place to this monument. Local guided tours conducted by Delhi Tourism and private operators cover this important monument.