humayun’s tomb
Thought to be the first Persian-style garden tomb built on the Indian subcontinent, this is the final resting place of the Mughal Empire’s second emperor, Humayun (1530-1540, 1555-1556), son of the empire’s founder, Babur. Humayun’s tomb is situated near the Yamuna River and sits at the center of a massive quartered garden complex. The humongous building—and that’s truly an understatement—also includes the tombs of multiple family members both within and just outside the main mausoleum. The mass of this monument is impossible to convey with mere pictures and, as with other surviving Mughal constructions, you really do have to visit and see it yourself to believe. Another UNESCO World Heritage site in New Delhi, it’s definitely worth a visit!
Along the walkway to Humayun’s tomb you pass another medieval tomb site, that of Isa Khan Niazi (1453-1548), of the short-lived Sur Empire (1538-45). Essentially placing the Mughal invasion on hold and forcing Humayun to flee to Persia, the Sur Empire took control over the Delhi Sultanate until Humayun returned with a vengeance in 1554, securing Mughal rule until 1857.
The mosque associated with Isa Khan Niazi’s tomb.
The main gate leading into Humayun’s tomb complex.
Humayun’s tomb as viewed across one of the less crowded approaches. It is a popular tourist destination, and with good reason, but this side pic turned out so much better than those I was able to get from the front!
A look back across some of the garden from the upper deck of Humayun’s Tomb. The building in the distance is the main gate through which we entered.
Trying to adequately capture the incredible mass of this monument is difficult, but this picture, I think, provides a small taste. It is absolutely huge!
The window coverings—screens, for lack of a better descriptor—are ornate and elaborate throughout.
Humayun’s actual mausoleum.
This, believe it or not, is the tomb of Humayun’s royal barber, Nai Kam Gumbad, dated to 1590.
One of the best views of Humayun’s Tomb turned out to be from the stone pedestal upon which the barber’s tomb was constructed. Note the symmetry and how well the barber’s tomb lines up with Humayun’s. This attention to symmetry and spacial location of elements within the gardens would have made my high school geometry teacher proud, but was, apparently, a very important element to Mughal era construction. Shows up in its most developed form at the Taj Mahal.
One final look back at an incredible site!