Specials

Humayun’s Tomb and its majesty on a sultry Delhi morning

Published by
Ahona Sengupta

Humayun’s Tomb, built in the 1560’s, is a specimen of the grandiose of Mughal architecture and its garden setting has no precedence in the Islamic world for a mausoleum. Built on a monumental scale with the patronage of Humayun’s son, the great Emperor Akbar, the Humayun’s Tomb is the first of the grand dynastic mausoleums that later on became synonyms of Mughal architecture with the architectural style reaching its zenith 80 years later at the later Taj Mahal.

The monument includes other contemporary, 16th century Mughal garden-tombs such as Nila Gumbad, Isa Khan, Bu Halima, Afsarwala, Barber’s Tomb and the complex where the craftsmen employed for the Building of Humayun’s Tomb stayed, the Arab Serai.

Also Read: Delhi skies a feast for the eyes before winter arrives

The Humayun’s tomb stands in an extremely significant archaeological setting, centred at the Shrine of the 14th century Sufi Saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. (Photo: Ahona Sengupta)
Visitors walk towards the first gate of the Humayun’s Tomb. (Photo: Ahona Sengupta)
The grand gate that leads one to the main mausoleum-structured Humayun’s Tomb. (Photo: Ahona Sengupta)
Visitors walk towards the grand mausoleum through the second gate inside the Humayun’s Tomb. (Photo: Ahona Sengupta)
Humayun’s garden-tomb is also called the ‘dormitory of the Mughals’, which means the cells are buried over 150 Mughal family members. (Photo: Ahona Sengupta)
The mausoleum has an irregular octagon plan with four long sides and chamfered edges. (Photo: Ahona Sengupta)
The Barber’s Tomb or ‘Nai-ka-Gumbad’ belonging to royal barber, within the premise of the Humayun’s Tomb. (Photo: Ahona Sengupta)
The mausoleum is built of plaster and rubble. At the time of construction, it was entire covered with blue, green and white tiles. Turquoise blue was the dominant amongst the other colors. (Photo: Ahona Sengupta)
The intricate designs on the walls of the Nila Gumbad. (Photo: Ahona Sengupta)
A close visual of the Nila Gumbad. (Photo: Ahona sengupta
The intricate designs on the walls of the Nila Gumbad. (Photo: Ahona Sengupta)
The magnificent tomb and a sprawling garden. (Photo: Ahona Sengupta)
The Arab Serai is said to have been built by Mughal emperor Humayun’s widow Haji Begum. (Photo: Ahona Sengupta)

For more stories that cover the ongoings of Delhi NCR, follow us on:

Instagram: instagram.com/thepatriot_in/
Twitter: twitter.com/Patriot_Delhi
Facebook: facebook.com/Thepatriotnewsindia

Ahona Sengupta

Published by
Ahona Sengupta

Recent Posts

In Parveen Sultana’s world, music is prayer and the listener God

Ahead of her January 11 Delhi concert, legendary vocalist Begum Parveen Sultana reflects on her…

January 9, 2026

Delhi govt launches Startup Yuva Festival, urges students to drive innovation

Sood said universities are no longer limited to academic instruction and are increasingly emerging as…

January 9, 2026

Man arrested for theft of Rs 5 lakh from Azadpur mandi shop

The accused has allegedly confessed his involvement and further investigation is underway to recover the…

January 9, 2026

Delhi HC asks DoE to reply to minority schools’ plea order on fee regulation panels

The petitions challenge the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act,…

January 9, 2026

Delhi: Saket court staffer ends life after jumping from building; note recovered

A Saket court staffer allegedly died by suicide after jumping from a building, with police…

January 9, 2026

Marijuana worth nearly Rs 8 cr seized at Delhi airport; two passengers arrested

Customs officials intercepted the duo on arrival from Vietnam at IGI Airport’s Terminal 3, recovering…

January 9, 2026