Explore Humayun's Tomb - the tomb of the king who wandered in a foreign land
When talking about India and Mughal architecture, visitors often think of the Taj Mahal mausoleum, a symbol of a husband's eternal love for his wife. However, few people know that the inspiration for that great design can be found a few hundred kilometers north of Delhi - the Mausoleum of Emperor Humayun of the Mughal Dynasty. The project was built between 1572-1576 under the direction of Queen Hamida Baba Begum. This mausoleum is the most representative work of the Mughal style that later became famous in the world.
Emperor Humayun was the son of the first Mughal emperor – Babur. He inherited the throne at the age of 23, when he was not even aware of the position he held. He liked to immerse himself in colorful entertainment and endless drinking parties in the harem. This led to a dispute between Humayun and his three younger brothers who intended to take control of the kingdom. They colluded with a cunning Afghan noble named Sher Shah, attacked the king from the East and established the Sur dynasty in Humayun's territory. Humayun was besieged and forced to flee to Persia, where he lived in exile for 15 years. However, this was also the time when he encountered the exquisite craftsmanship of Safavid artisans.
In 1556, with Persian support, Humayun returned to Delhi to reclaim the throne. Just 6 months from the day he returned to the throne, he fell on the library stairs and died, ending his short reign.
To honor her deceased husband, Queen Hamida Baba Begum invited Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, an architect from the city of Herat, northwestern Afghanistan, to build the first garden mausoleum in history. The building blends Persian and Mughal elements, setting a model for subsequent Mughal architecture, culminating in the Taj Mahal completed in 1648.
The large garden is divided into 4 areas, separated by surrounding moats. The mausoleum is 47 m high, consists of 2 floors, the top dome is 8 m high and is paved with white marble while the rest is built of red sandstone. The mausoleum was calculated according to strict rules of Islamic geometry with an emphasis on the number 8.
This mausoleum took 7 years to build and was officially completed 16 years after Humayun's death. However, the garden required a large amount of money to maintain, plus the transfer of the Mughal capital from Delhi to Agra led to the mausoleum being abandoned and falling into ruins. In 1947, thousands of refugees set up camp inside the wall, causing many architectural parts to no longer retain their original integrity.
The turning point came for Humayun's tomb when UNESCO recognized this place as a World Cultural Heritage in 1993. The mausoleum was also restored to its original state through sponsorship from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. In September 2013, after two centuries of neglect, Humayun's mausoleum was opened to visitors and once again put its name on the list of "The most beautiful buildings in the world".
