Humayun's Tomb

in Image Gallery
Published on: 21 April 2016

The mausoleum of Mughal emperor Humayun (1508–56) is seen as an early exemplar of the geometric order accentuated by ornament that distinguishes Mughal architecture. Humayun’s son Akbar had it built near the dargah (tomb-shrine) of Sufi pir Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. The architect was Sayyid Muhammed Ghiyas of Herat, and the construction took seven years, 1565 to 1572. Others buried in the tomb complex are Isa Khan (an advisor of Sher Shah Suri, who usurped the throne from Humayun in 1540–45), Dara Shukoh, and several of the later Mughal emperors.

In 1993, Humayun’s Tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) carried out the restoration of the gardens in 1997–2004, and the restoration of the complex as a whole in 2007–13.