Humayun's Tomb

Emperor Humayun died unexpectedly in 1556, and the Mughal Empire was still unstable, as King Hemu was threatening the empire. In subsequent years until the 1560s, Humayun's body had been to several places, to eventually rest in this magnificent Tomb of Humayun built-in proximity of Nizamuddin Auliya's tomb. 

This magnificent tomb marks the beginning of Emperor Akbar's impressive career, this tomb first of its kind, was built in Hindustan. More than Akbar, its credit belongs to Bega Begum, Humayun's devoted wife, who after Humayun's passing lived with one purpose to manifest his legacy in a magnificent tomb. It was her who patronized this tomb of Humayun. Historian Ira Mukhoty wrote, "After her return from Mecca, therefore, Haji Begum remained at the site of the construction of Humayun’s tomb, where men hauled the red sandstone from quarries in Rajasthan and Hindustani craftsmen transformed a Persian vision from wood into stone" 

"Persian and Indian craftsmen worked together to build the garden-tomb, far grander than any tomb built before in the Islamic world. Humayun’s garden-tomb is an example of the charbagh (a four-quadrant garden with the four rivers of Quranic paradise represented), with pools joined by channels. The mausoleum itself stands on a high, wide terraced platform with two bay-deep vaulted cells on all four sides. It has an irregular octagon plan with four long sides and chamfered edges. It is surmounted by a 42.5 m high double dome clad with marble flanked by pillared kiosks (chhatris) and the domes of the central chhatris are adorned with glazed ceramic tiles." (Source - Unesco)

Construction of tomb finished in around 1570s. In 1571 Akbar relocated to Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, where he built his paradise.

Today this magnificent tomb is standing with all its beauty & charm, a living testament to the remarkable role played by Bega Begum & the beginning of the equally magnificent career of Emperor Akbar.