Location:Nizamuddin East, Delhi Map
Buried: Mughal emperor Humayun
Constructed: 1562 AD by his wife Hamida Banu Begum
Humayun Tomb is a medieval burial structure designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in Nizamuddin East, Delhi in India. It was commissioned by Hamida Banu Begum in 1562 AD for a burial of Mughal Emperor Humayun. It was erected under supervision of an architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyath who designed it.
The mausoleum was originally close to the Yamuna River, but changed its course in later times. The mausoleum is now in the Nizamuddin-Ost district, at the intersection of Lodi Road and Mathura Road. At the time of the slave dynasty, the area belonged to the KiloKheri fortress, the capital of Sultan Kequbad, son of Nasiruddin (1268–1287). In addition to Humayun's main tomb, the site also includes other buildings and tombs of Mughal architecture - including the barber's tomb.
Nasir-ud-din Muhammad Humayun (1508–1556) was the
second Mughal emperor, succeeding his father Babur in 1530. His reign
was turbulent: he lost much of his empire to the Afghan ruler Sher Shah
Suri (1540), spent years in exile (including time in Safavid Persia,
where he absorbed architectural and cultural ideas), and regained Delhi
in 1555 with Persian military aid. He died on 27 January 1556 after
falling from the stairs of his library in Purana Qila (Old Fort), Delhi.
His body was initially buried in Purana Qila, then moved temporarily to
Sirhind before final interment.
Commissioning and Construction
Humayun's chief consort and first wife, Bega Begum (also called Haji
Begum after performing Hajj, or Empress Hamida Banu Begum in some
contexts), commissioned the tomb after his death. She vowed to build a
magnificent memorial and funded it entirely herself at a cost of 1.5
million rupees (a vast sum). Some sources note patronage or oversight
involvement by their son, Emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605), but Bega Begum
is primarily credited as the driving force; she selected the architect
and supervised the project after her pilgrimage.
Persian architect
Mirak Mirza Ghiyath (or Ghiyasuddin, from Herat in present-day
Afghanistan, with experience in Bukhara and other Timurid centers)
designed it; he drew inspiration from Timurid architecture like the
Gur-e Amir in Samarkand (Tamerlane's tomb). Ghiyath died before
completion, and his son Sayyid Muhammad oversaw the final stages.
Construction began around 1562–1565 (groundbreaking sometimes dated to
1557/1558) and was largely completed by 1570–1572. Akbar visited the
nearing-completion site in 1571 and 1572. The location on the banks of
the Yamuna River near Nizamuddin was chosen deliberately.
Historical Events and Later History
The site predates the main tomb:
Isa Khan Niazi's tomb (an Afghan noble who fought the Mughals) was built
in 1547. In 1857, during the Indian Rebellion, the last Mughal emperor
Bahadur Shah Zafar II took refuge here with princes; British forces
under Captain Hodson captured him, leading to his exile and the princes'
execution—symbolizing the end of Mughal rule.
Post-Partition (1947),
the complex served as a refugee camp, causing significant damage to
gardens, structures, vandalism, and encroachments until around 1952.
Earlier, by the 18th century, the garden had decayed into vegetable
plots; British restorations in 1860 imposed an English-style garden,
later corrected.
Restorations and Conservation
Major
interventions include Lord Curzon's restoration (1903–1909): replanting
authentic gardens, sandstone-lined channels. Post-independence, the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) managed it. A landmark partnership
between ASI and Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) since 1997
(intensified post-1993 UNESCO listing) involved archaeological research,
archival work, and conservation: 1997–2003 revived the charbagh water
system (fountains, channels), replanted ~12 hectares with 2,500+
trees/plants using Mughal-era species; later phases removed 20th-century
concrete/cement (e.g., 1,102 tons from roof in 2009), restored plinth
paving with original quartzite, lime mortar repairs, and traditional
techniques. A 2014 storm damaged the finial (restored 2016). Ongoing
efforts preserve authenticity and revive crafts.
Significance and
Influence
Humayun's Tomb marked a shift from Babur's simpler Kabul
garden-tomb to grand dynastic mausoleums. Its innovations—monumental
scale, charbagh setting symbolizing paradise, double dome, pietra dura,
symmetry, and Persian-Indian synthesis—influenced subsequent Mughal
works, reaching their zenith in the Taj Mahal (symmetrical garden-tomb
with refined marble). It symbolizes the Mughal dynasty's power and
cultural synthesis. A museum on-site displays artifacts, and the complex
remains a major tourist and heritage site.
Humayun's Tomb (Makbara-e-Humayun) in Nizamuddin East,
Delhi, India, is a landmark of Mughal architecture, built 1565–1572
(completed around 1570–1572) under the patronage of Empress Bega Begum
(Haji Begum), Humayun's chief consort, with contributions from their son
Akbar. Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas (from Herat, who died during
construction) and his son Sayyid Muhammad designed it. The tomb cost
about 1.5 million rupees and is the first grand dynastic garden-tomb
(mausoleum set in a formal paradise garden) on the Indian subcontinent.
It holds UNESCO World Heritage status (1993, criteria ii and iv) as a
precursor to later Mughal masterpieces like the Taj Mahal, introducing
monumental scale, the Charbagh garden layout in India, and a synthesis
of Persian, Timurid, and Indian traditions.
The complex spans about
27 hectares (core zone), with a surrounding buffer, enclosed by high
rubble walls on three sides (the fourth originally bordered the Yamuna
River). It includes the main tomb, smaller contemporary 16th-century
garden-tombs (e.g., Isa Khan's Tomb and Mosque from 1547 in Sur style,
Bu Halima's, Afsarwala, Barber's/Nai-ka-Gumbad, Nila Gumbad), the Arab
Serai (for Persian craftsmen), and nearby structures like Chillah
Nizamuddin Auliya. The site lies near the 14th-century Sufi shrine of
Nizamuddin Auliya.
Charbagh Garden Layout
The tomb sits at the
geometric center of a classical Charbagh (four-part garden), the first
of its kind in India on this scale, inspired by Persian paradise gardens
(jannat) described in the Quran with four rivers. The garden covers
roughly 13–30 acres (varying accounts), divided into four quadrants by
two bisecting axial paved walkways (khiyabans) and water channels that
cross at the center and symbolically flow "under" the tomb platform
before re-emerging. Each quadrant is further subdivided into eight
smaller plots (32 total), with underground terracotta pipes, aqueducts,
fountains, and channels originally providing flowing water on a gentle
slope. Lofty gateways (double-storeyed, ~16 m high) mark the south and
west entrances (west is primary today); the east wall has a baradari
(pillared pavilion), and the north has a hammam (bath). The layout
aligns with the tomb's axes, creating a unified cosmological and
symbolic whole—garden as earthly paradise, tomb as divine throne. Modern
restorations (Aga Khan Trust for Culture/ASI since 1997) have reinstated
original water flow, stone paving, and planting (thousands of
trees/shrubs), reversing later decay and colonial modifications.
Main Tomb Structure: Platform, Materials, and Dimensions
The
mausoleum stands on a high, vaulted square plinth/terrace (~7–8 m high,
~91 m / 299 ft wide, ~12,000 m² area) with arched openings and cells
(some housing graves). The structure measures ~47 m (154 ft) tall to the
dome apex and presents an octagonal silhouette due to chamfered corners
on the square base. Primary materials are red sandstone (first
large-scale use in Mughal architecture for rubble masonry cladding,
sourced locally) with white marble for the dome exterior, door frames,
eaves (chhajja), jaalis (lattice screens), inlays, and flooring; black
marble accents and pietra dura (inlaid geometric/arabesque/floral
motifs) add contrast and richness. Yellow sandstone accents appear in
some detailing. Original chhatris around the dome featured glazed
ceramic tiles (possibly blue).
Architectural Plan and Layout
The plan is a symmetrical square "ninefold" (hasht-bihisht or
eight-paradise) design with chamfered corners creating an octagonal
appearance. Eight two-storey vaulted chambers radiate from the central
double-height domed chamber; each of these main chambers further
radiates eight smaller chambers, yielding a highly intricate total of
~124 vaulted chambers interconnected by straight and diagonal
passages/galleries. This creates a labyrinthine yet radially symmetrical
interior allowing circumambulation (tawaf-like paths) around the central
sepulcher and ancillary rooms—symbolizing paradise cosmology, Sufi
practices, and the emperor's elevated status. The central chamber
(octagonal, ~12–15 m across approx.) houses Humayun's cenotaph (symbolic
grave marker); the actual burial is in a lower underground chamber
(accessed separately, often closed). Diagonal corner chambers
(two-storey) contain graves of family members (including Bega Begum and
others). The upper gallery level extends this radially with
smooth-flowing passageways that outline chambers and connect to cardinal
garden vistas, mirroring the garden's four-quadrant plan. The overall
layout echoes Timurid precedents like Gur-e Amir (Timur's tomb in
Samarkand) but on a grander scale with Indian adaptations.
Exterior Elevation and Features
Each of the four cardinal facades
features a deeply recessed central iwan (high arched portal, the largest
and tallest) flanked by smaller arched alcoves/vaults in two bays,
creating layered depth and shadow play. Corners have chamfered edges
with additional openings. Above the roofline, pillared chhatris (domed
kiosks/pavilions, an Indian/Rajasthani element) surround the dome base,
giving a pyramidal silhouette from afar and breaking the mass. The
elevation is symmetrical, simple yet imposing, contrasting the complex
interior.
Dome and Crowning Elements
Humayun's Tomb introduced
the Persian-style double dome to large-scale Indian architecture: an
inner dome shapes the cavernous central chamber volume, while a taller
outer dome (on a high cylindrical drum/neck) supports the white marble
cladding and reaches ~42.5 m diameter externally, topped by a ~6 m brass
finial with crescent (Timurid influence). The total height from ground
to dome top is ~47 m (or up to 140 ft / ~43 m in some measurements
including plinth). The white dome starkly contrasts the red sandstone
body.
Interior Features
The interior emphasizes light, space,
and symbolism. Jaalis filter light into geometric patterns; original
rich furnishings included carpets, Qurans, and imperial relics (per
historical accounts). Cenotaphs are plain marble (Humayun's aligned
north-south, head north, face toward Mecca/Qibla west via symbolic
mihrab outline allowing light from that direction). Graves in radiating
chambers often bear simple carved symbols (e.g., writing tools for
males, slates for females); over 100–150 Mughal family members are
interred here, earning it the nickname "Dormitory of the Mughals."
Pendentives transition the octagon to the dome.
Influences,
Innovations, and Significance
Influences blend Persian/Timurid
(double dome, iwan, Charbagh paradise garden, architects from
Herat/Bukhara, Gur-e Amir model) with Indian traditions (chhatris, red
sandstone-white marble combo from Delhi Sultanate examples like Alai
Darwaza, jaalis, corbel brackets, trabeate-arcuate fusion). It revives
and elevates earlier Indo-Islamic tomb elements (octagonal plans, iwans
from Lodi/Sur tombs) while rejecting modest precedents like Babur's
garden burial.
Innovations include the unprecedented monumental scale
for a mausoleum in the Islamic world, the integrated garden-tomb as
dynastic symbol (sovereignty + paradise), precise ninefold radiating
chamber plan for circumambulation and multi-level complexity,
large-scale pietra dura and color contrasts, and the double dome on this
scale in India. It set the template for subsequent Mughal imperial
tombs, evolving through Akbar's and Shah Jahan's eras to the Taj Mahal's
perfection (e.g., refined pietra dura, twin cenotaphs, more fluid
proportions).