About The Moghul Tomb
Humayun’s Tomb, the final resting place of Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi, India, was commissioned by his widow, Hamida Banu Begam, also known as Haji Begam, in 1569, fourteen years after he died in 1556. While there is no recorded evidence of Humayun’s involvement in planning the tomb, it is widely believed that he drew inspiration from Persian architecture during his exile. The construction, costing 15 lakh rupees (1.5 million), employed Mirak Mirza Ghiyath, a Persian architect.
The tomb, situated within a square garden, surrounds four main parterres divided by causeways, with shallow water channels running through their centers. Two lofty double-storeyed gateways on the west and south grant access to the high rubble-built enclosure. An elaborate baradari (pavilion) adorns the center of the eastern wall, while a hammam (bath chamber) is situated in the center of the northern wall.
The square red sandstone mausoleum, with chamfered corners, rises from a 7-meter-high square terrace. Beneath this terrace lies a series of cells accessible through arches on each side, leading to the central chamber containing the cenotaph. Diagonal passages connect to corner chambers housing the graves of other royal family members. Externally, the tomb’s sides are adorned with marble borders and panels, with three arched alcoves dominating each side, the central one being the tallest. Pillared kiosks encircle the high double dome atop the roof.
The octagonal central chamber within the tomb encompasses the cenotaph, surrounded by octagonal chambers at the diagonals and arched lobbies on the sides. Perforated screens close off their openings, while three arches dominate each side, repeating the pattern on the second storey. The marble double dome crowning the roof, reaching 42.5 meters in height, is adorned with pillared kiosks (chhatris).
Char Bagh garden
It took over eight years to build the main tomb. Builders also positioned it in the center of a 30-acre (120,000 m2) Char Bagh Garden (Four Gardens). It is a Persian-style garden with a quadrilateral layout. This garden was the first of its kind in the South Asia region on such a scale. Paved walkways (Khiyabans) and two bisecting central water channels divide the highly geometrical and enclosed Paradise Garden. Reflecting the four rivers that flow in Jannat, the Islamic concept of paradise, is divided into four squares. Each of the four squares further divides into smaller squares with pathways, creating 36 squares in all, a design typical of later Mughal gardens. The central water channels appear to be disappearing beneath the tomb structure and reappearing on the other side in a straight line, suggesting the Quranic verse, which talks of rivers flowing beneath the ‘Garden of Paradise’.
Barber’s Tomb
Towards the south-east corner, within the ‘char bagh’ garden, lies a tomb known as Nai-ka-Gumbad, or Barber’s Tomb. It belongs to the royal barber, it is datable to 1590-91 CE, through an inscription found inside. The proximity of the Barber tomb to the main tomb and its status as the only other structure within the main tomb complex suggests its importance. However, there are no inscriptions indicating who is interred therein. The name “Barbers Tomb” is the local designation for the structure, and it is still in use.
Other monuments
Tomb and mosque of Isa Khan:
Along the pathway leading to the tomb enclosure from the main entrance in the West, several monuments stand, including one predating the main tomb by twenty years. Built in 1547 CE, it’s the tomb complex of Isa Khan Niyazi, an Afghan noble in Sher Shah Suri’s court. The octagonal tomb sits within an octagonal garden, established during his lifetime and Islam Shah Suri’s reign. It later became the resting place for Isa Khan’s entire family. Adjacent to the tomb lies a three-bay wide mosque in red sandstone. The structure bears a resemblance to other Sur dynasty tombs in Lodhi Gardens. Lodhi Gardens showcases the evolution of the architectural style seen in the Humayun Tomb. Some architectural features found here foreshadow those of the main Humayun tomb, albeit on a grander scale, such as the tomb’s placement within a walled garden enclosure.
Bu Halima’s Tomb and Garden:
Upon entering the complex from the West, visitors first encounter a garden complex named Bu Halima’s Garden. Although little information is available about her. Since the tomb or the raised platform where it once stood is not at the center, it appears to be a later addition.
Afsarwala Tomb and mosque:
Standing southwest end of the complex lies the Afsarwala tomb (Officer’s Tomb) belonging to a nobleman (Afsar Indianized word for Officer) in Akbar’s court.
Judging from its location adjacent to the tomb, the mosque itself can be dated to the same period.
Arab Sarai:
Hamida Banu Begum built the Sarai (resthouse) for the Arabs around 1560-1561 CE. It means it stands adjacent to the Afsarwala mosque. Hamida Banu Begum ostensibly constructed it for the craftsmen who came for the construction work.
Nila Gumbad:
The tomb is known as Nila Burj (now known as Nila Gumbad) or ‘Blue Dome’. It stands outside the boundary of the complex, so named because it carries striking blue glazed tiles. Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, son of Bairam Khan. A courtier in Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court, built it for his servant Miyan Fahim. Fahim, not only grew up with his son but later also died alongside one of Rahim’s sons. Feroze Khan, while fighting against the rebellion of Mughal general Mahabat Khan in 1625/26, during the reign of Jahangir. The unique architecture of this structure includes an octagonal exterior and a square interior, adorned with painted and incised plaster on the ceiling. It features a high-neck dome and notably lacks the double dome characteristic common to tombs of the period.