Humayun's Tomb

Humayun died in 1556, and his widow Hamida Banu Begam, also known as Haji Begam, commenced the construction of his tomb in 1569, fourteen years after his death. It is the first distinct example of proper Mughal style, which was inspired by Persian architecture. It is well known that Humayun picked up the principles of Persian architecture during his exile, and he himself is likely to have planned the tomb, although there is no record to that effect. The tomb was constructed at a cost of 15 lakh rupees (1.5 million). Mirak Mirza Ghiyath, a Persian, was the architect employed by Haji Begam for this tomb.The tomb proper stands in the centre of a square garden, divided into four main parterres by causeways (charbagh), in the centre of which ran shallow water-channels. The high rubble built enclosure is entered through two lofty double-storeyed gateways on the west and south. A baradari (pavilion) occupies the centre of the eastern wall and a hammam (bath chamber) in the centre of northern wall.The square red sandstone double-storeyed structure of the mausoleum with chamfered corners rises from a 7-m. high square terrace, raised over a series of cells, which are accessible through, arches on each side. The grave proper in the centre of this cell-complex is reached by a passage on the south. The octagonal central chamber contains the cenotaph, and the diagonal sides lead to corner-chambers which house the graves of other members of the royal family. Externally each side of the tomb, its elevations decorated by marble borders and panels, is dominated by three arched alcoves, the central one being the highest. Over the roof pillared kiosks are disposed around the high emphatic double dome in the centre. The central octagonal chamber contains the cenotaph, encompassed by octagonal chambers at the diagonals and arched lobbies on the sides. Their openings are closed with perforated screens. Each side is dominated by three arches, the central one being the highest. This plan is repeated on the second storey too. The roof surmounted by a double dome (42.5m) of marble has pillared kiosks (chhatris) placed around it.The mausoleum is a synthesis of Persian architecture and Indian traditions-the former exemplified by the arched alcoves, corridors and the high double dome, and the latter by the kiosks, which give it a pyramidal outline from distance. Although Sikandar Lodi's tomb was the first garden-tomb to be built in India, it is Humayun's tomb which set up a new vogue, the crowning achievement of which is the Taj at Agra. There is also a somewhat common human impetus behind these two edifices-one erected by a devoted wife for her husband and the other by an equally or more devoted husband for his wife. Several rulers of the Mughal dynasty lie buried here. Bahadur Shah Zafar had taken refuge in this tomb with three princes during the first war of Independence (AD 1857). On the southwestern side of the tomb is located barber's tomb (Nai-ka-Gumbad) which stands on a raised platform, reached by seven steps from the south. The building is square on plan and consists of a single compartment covered with a double-dome.

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  Spectacular Mughal Buildings 

One of the most spectacular Mughal buildings, Humayun's tomb was added to Unesco's World Heritage List in 1993. Built by Haji Begum, the widow of Humanyun, the second Mughal Emperor, the mausoleum is known to the precursor of world famous Taj Mahal. Built with a cost of one and a half million rupees, the monument heralded the construction of garden-tombs on the Indian subcontinent. Experience the majesty of Humayun's tomb with Hotels of New Delhi.

As soon as one enters the massive double-storeyed gateway, the majesty of the building becomes self-evident. High walls surrounds a square garden which is divided into four large squares separated by causeways and water channels. Each square, in turn, is divided into smaller squares by pathways. This forms a typical Mughal garden known as charbagh. Highly developed engineering skills were employed in the working out of the fountains. Though made of red sandstone, black and yellow stone was used to give variation. Humanyun's Tomb came into the scene during the First War of Indian Independence in 1857. When the uprising failed, Bahadur Shah II, the last Mughal emperor, took refuge in the tomb, before he was sent to the Rangoon jail in Myanmar. The tomb stands majestically at the center of the enclosure and rises from a platform faced with a series of cells with arched openings. The complex of Humayun's Tomb contains many small monuments. Chief among them are black-and-yellow marble tomb of Humayun's wife and the tomb of Humayun's barber. Referred to as Nai Ka Gumbad, the barber's tomb is an impressive square tomb with a double-dome 

 Isa Khan's Tomb 

The Tomb of Isa Khan, located outside the main grounds of Humayun's tomb, was built in 1547. It /HumayunsTomb1.jpgcommemorates an important notable who served Sher Shah, the Afghan ruler of Delhi who had ousted Humayun. The octagonal form of the tomb has a long history in Islamic art and became popular in India in the second half of the fourteenth century for members of ruling families. A possible direct model for Isa Khan's tomb is the tomb of Sikandar Lodi (not shown here), built three decades earlier in Delhi. To the untrained eye, the tomb of Isa Khan has the more graceful proportions. Its particular evocation of the form is noteworthy for the elegant clustering of chhatris (kiosks) and pinnacles around the dome, features which were absent on the Lodi tomb.