Page 89 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

DELHI  87

y Humayun’s Tomb VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information
Humayun, the second Mughal emperor (see p83), is Off Mathura Rd, Bharat
buried in this tomb, the first great example of a Mughal Scout Guide Marg.
garden tomb, and inspiration for several later monuments, Tel (011) 2435 5275.
Open daily. & - m 7
such as the incomparable Taj Mahal (see pp176–9). Built
in 1565 by Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, it was
commissioned by Humayun’s senior widow, Haji Begum.
Often called “a dormitory of the House of Timur”, the
graves in its chambers include those of Humayun’s wives
and Dara Shikoh, Shah Jahan’s scholarly son. Also in
the complex are the octagonal tomb and mosque of
Isa Khan, a 16th-century nobleman, and the tomb of
Humayun’s favourite barber. The Arab ki Sarai was a
rest house for the Persian masons who built the tomb.
The perfectly symmetrical Humayun’s Tomb, as
seen from the entrance
The Dome
This imposing white marble double dome is a
complete half-sphere, and is surmounted by
a finial with a crescent in the Persian style.
Later Mughal finials, such as the one at the
Taj Mahal, added a lotus base.

Geometric designs
inlaid on panels

Jalis
Fine trellis work
in stone later
became a signature
Mughal feature.

Tomb Chamber
The imposing plinth is decorated with The plain white marble sarcophagus
red sandstone arches and consists of stands on a simple black- and- white
multiple chambers, a departure from marble platform. The grave itself, no longer
the single chamber of previous tombs. accessible, lies in the dark basement below.

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