India Guide
Delhi
Humayun's Tomb
Address: At the crossroads of the Lodi and Mathura roads, 500m from Nizamuddin railway station
Price: Rs250
Opening time: Daily sunrise to sunset
Close to the medieval Muslim centre of Nizamuddin, Humayun's Tomb, Delhi's first Mughal mausoleum, ranks among the city's finest historic sites. Constructed to house the remains of the second Mughal emperor, Humayun, it was built under the watchful eye of Haji Begum, his senior widow and mother of Akbar, who is now buried alongside her husband. The grounds were later used to inter several prominent Mughals, and served as a refuge for the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II, before his capture by the British in 1857.
The tomb has a sombre, Persian-style elegance. Made of red sandstone, inlaid with black and white marble, it stands in the centre of the formal charbagh, or quartered garden looking towards the Yamuna from a commanding podium. The octagonal structure is crowned with a double dome that soars to a height of 38m. Humayun's mausoleum can be seen as a prototype for the Taj Mahal at Agra. Late afternoon is the best time for photography.