Humayun's Tomb! - The Bill Beaver Project

What Is Humayun’s Tomb?

The final resting place of the second Mughal emperor was also India’s first garden-tomb and hugely influential in architecture!

What Makes It Historical?

The Mughal Empire took control of Delhi in 1526, coming from Central Asia and claiming descent from conquerers Timur and Genghis Khan! This dynasty got off to a rocky start, though. After empire founder, Babur, died, his son, Humayun (also known as Nasir ud-Din Muhammad) took the throne in 1530 and immediately had to deal with revolts by his brothers! On top of that, he had to contend with other rulers, like Sultan Bahadur of Gujarat and Sher Shah Suri, who actually defeated Humayun so completely that the Mughal Emperor was exiled for 15 years!

During his exile in Persia, Humayun learned a lot about art and architecture, and when the Safavids helped him retake the throne on June 22, 1555, he introduced a lot of Persian influence into Delhi! Nowhere is this more apparent than his tomb, built as a charbagh, a symmetrical tomb in a garden split in four by waterways that represented the four rivers of paradise! It was designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas and his son, Sayyid Muhammad, and constructed near the final resting place of Sufi saint, Nizamuddin Auliya! It wasn’t built until after the Emperor’s fatal fall on his library staircase on January 27, 1556, being completed in 1572. Modeled after the tomb of his own ancestor, Timur, Humayun’s Tomb would go on to inspire his great-grandson, Shah Jahan, to build the Taj Mahal!

How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?

Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
Volunteer with the World Heritage Volunteers!
Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!