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Humayun's Tomb, Delhi |
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Set in the center of a meticulously arranged square garden, the lofty mausoleum of Mughal Emperor Humayun or Humayun's Tomb is one of the finest examples of early Mughal architecture. The tomb is the frontrunner of many other great buildings erected by the Mughals during their reign in India, including the world famous Taj Mahal. It is built in the traditional Islamic style of architecture with geometrically laid garden crisscrossed by a network of water channels, bulbous dome, high arches, spire and lattice stone windows.
It was Humayun's Persian wife, queen Haji or Bega Begum, who is said to have built the tomb after the unexpected death of the Emperor in the capital city of Delhi. Some believed that Humayun's son Akbar (a genius builder) was behind the making of this impressive tomb of his father. A rubble-built wall runs round the vast sprawling complex of the mausoleum and is interrupted with two important double story gateways with massive arches.
The tomb is in the form of a large red sandstone octagonal burial structure ornamented with black and white marble and crowned by a massive dome. A beautiful crescent graces the top of the dome. Unlike its predecessors, the dome here is a full dome, a complete semi-circle. The cenotaph is located at the central octagonal chamber dominated by three emphatic arches on each side, the central one being the largest. Same architectural plan is witnessed on the second storey of the tomb.
According to the written records it took eight or nine years to build the mausoleum, which was probably completed in 1569-70. The tomb was erected 9-14 years after the death of the emperor. Earlier the body was kept inside the Sher Mandal, used as a library by the emperor and is also the place where he fell to his death.
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