Humayun's Tomb (Persian: Maqbara-i Humayun) is the burial place of Mughal Emperor Humayun, located in Delhi, India. The tomb was built by Humayun's first wife and main advisor, Empress Bega Begum, under her guidance in 1558. It was designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas and his son, Sayyid Muhammad, who were Persian architects chosen by her. This structure was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent and is found in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, near the Dina-panah Citadel, also called Purana Qila (Old Fort), which Humayun discovered in 1538. It was also the first major building in India to use red sandstone on a large scale. In 1993, the tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and extensive restoration work has since been completed. Along the path leading to the main tomb from the west, several smaller monuments are located, including one that was built 20 years earlier than the main tomb itself. This older structure is the tomb complex of Isa Khan Niazi, an Afghan noble who served in Sher Shah Suri's court during the Sur Empire and fought against the Mughals, constructed in 1547 CE.

The complex includes the main tomb of Emperor Humayun, which contains the graves of Empress Bega Begum, Hajji Begum, and Dara Shikoh, who was Humayun's great-great-grandson and the son of later Emperor Shah Jahan. It also holds the graves of other Mughal rulers, such as Emperor Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Rafi Ul-Darjat, Rafi Ud-Daulat, Muhammad Kam Bakhsh, and Alamgir II. The tomb marked an important development in Mughal architecture and featured a Charbagh garden, a type of Persian garden layout that had never been seen in India before. This design influenced future Mughal architecture. The tomb differs from the simpler mausoleum of Humayun's father, Babur, called Bagh-e Babur in Kabul, Afghanistan, which was the first Mughal emperor to be buried in a paradise garden. Inspired by Gur-e Amir, the tomb of Timur in Samarkand, Humayun's Tomb set a model for future royal mausoleums, reaching its peak with the Taj Mahal in Agra.

The site was chosen because of its location near the Yamuna River and its closeness to Nizamuddin Dargah, the tomb of the respected Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya, who was honored by Delhi's rulers. His home, Chilla Nizamuddin Auliya, is located just northeast of the tomb. Later in Mughal history, the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, sought shelter here during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, along with three princes, before being captured by Captain Hodson and exiled to Rangoon. Before the Mughal Empire, this land was part of the 'KiloKheri Fort,' the capital of Sultan Qaiqabad, son of Nasiruddin, who ruled from 1268 to 1287.

The Tombs of Battashewala Complex are located in the buffer zone of the Humayun Tomb Complex's World Heritage Site. The two areas are separated by a small road but are enclosed within their own separate walls.

History

After Humayun died on January 27, 1556, his body was first buried in his palace in Purana Quila, Delhi. Later, Khanjar Beg moved the body to Sirhind in Punjab. In 1558, Humayun’s son, Akbar, who was the Mughal Emperor at the time, saw the body. Akbar visited the tomb in 1571, shortly before it was finished.

The tomb was built by order of Humayun’s first wife, Empress Bega Begum. Construction began in 1565 and ended in 1572. The cost was 1.5 million rupees, all paid by the Empress. Bega Begum was deeply sad after her husband’s death and decided to spend her life creating a grand memorial for him. She wanted the tomb to be the most impressive in the Empire, located near the Yamuna River in Delhi. According to the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document from Akbar’s reign, Bega Begum oversaw the construction after returning from Mecca and completing the Hajj pilgrimage.

Abd al-Qadir Bada’uni, a historian of the time, wrote that the tomb was designed by the Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas. He was brought from Herat, Afghanistan, by the Empress. Mirak had previously built structures in Herat, Bukhara, and other places in India. He died before the tomb was completed, and his son, Sayyed Muhammad ibn Mirak Ghiyathuddin, finished the work.

In 1611, an English merchant named William Finch visited the tomb. He described the central chamber as having rich carpets and a small tent above the tomb. The tent was covered with a white sheet, and the Quran, Humayun’s sword, turban, and shoes were placed nearby.

The Charbagh, or Four-Gardens, was a large garden with four square sections connected by paths and a central pool. It covered 13 hectares around the tomb. However, after the Mughal capital moved to Agra in 1556, the garden fell into disrepair due to high maintenance costs. By the early 1800s, the garden was replaced by vegetable plots used by people living in the area. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, British forces captured the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, and took control of the tomb. The British later redesigned the garden in an English style, replacing the central pools with circular flower beds and planting trees in flowerbeds. This design was reversed in the early 1900s when Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, ordered the original Mughal garden to be restored between 1903 and 1909. A 1915 plan added trees along the central and diagonal paths, though some trees were planted on the platform where tents once stood.

In 1882, a report by India’s official curator of ancient monuments noted that the garden was rented to farmers, including royal descendants who grew cabbage and tobacco.

In a letter from 1905, Lord Curzon wrote to his wife about restoring the garden: “You remember Humayun’s tomb? I had the garden restored, the water channels dug and refilled, and the whole place brought back to its original beauty. While I was in England, the garden was let to a native and is now planted with turnips. The work of four years is wasted!”

During the Partition of India in August 1947, Purana Quila and Humayun’s Tomb became refugee camps for Muslims moving to Pakistan. The camps remained open for about five years, causing damage to the gardens, water channels, and buildings. Vandals attacked the area during the early days of the Partition, leading to the cenotaphs inside the tomb being covered with bricks to protect them. Later, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) took charge of preserving heritage sites. Restoration efforts continued, and until 1985, four failed attempts were made to restore the original water features.

A major restoration phase began in 1993 when the site was declared a World Heritage Site. This led to new research and excavation efforts by the Aga Khan Trust and the ASI. By 2003, much of the complex and gardens were restored, and historic fountains were reactivated after centuries of disuse. Restoration has continued since then, focusing on different parts of the site.

Architecture

Turkic and Mughal rulers in the Indian subcontinent brought Central Asian and Persian styles of Islamic architecture to the region. By the late 12th century, early examples of this style appeared in and around Delhi, the capital of the Delhi Sultanate. The Turkic Slave dynasty began this trend with the construction of the Qutb Minar (1192) and its nearby Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque (1193 CE). Over the following centuries, North India was ruled by foreign dynasties, leading to the development of Indo-Islamic architecture. While earlier buildings used trabeate styles with pillars, beams, and lintels, the arcuate style, featuring arches and curved structures, became prominent under Mughal rule. This style combined elements of Indian architecture, such as Rajasthani decorative features like corbel brackets, balconies, pendentive decorations, and kiosks or chhatris, to create a unique Mughal architectural style. The use of red sandstone and white marble was first seen in Delhi Sultanate tombs and mosques, most notably in the Alai Darwaza gatehouse of the Qutub complex in Mehrauli, built in 1311 under the Khalji dynasty.

The high rubble-built enclosure of the tomb has two large double-storeyed gateways on the west and south sides, standing 16 meters tall. These gateways have rooms on either side of the passage and small courtyards on the upper floors. The tomb itself is made of rubble masonry and red sandstone, with white marble used for cladding, flooring, lattice screens (jaalis), door frames, eaves (chhajja), and the main dome. It sits on a vaulted terrace 8 meters high, covering an area of 12,000 square meters. The structure is square in shape but has chamfered edges to appear octagonal, preparing the base for the interior design. The plinth, made of rubble, has fifty-six cells around its perimeter, housing over 100 gravestones. The entire base is raised on a platform with a few steps.

Inspired by Persian architecture, the tomb reaches a height of 47 meters (154 feet), with a plinth 91 meters (299 feet) wide. It was the first Indian building to use a Persian double dome on a high neck drum, measuring 42.5 meters (139 feet), and topped by a 6-meter (20-foot) high brass finial ending in a crescent, a feature common in Timurid tombs. The double dome has an outer layer supporting the white marble exterior and an inner layer shaping the interior space. Unlike the white exterior, the rest of the building uses red sandstone, with white and black marble and yellow sandstone detailing to add visual variety.

The exterior design is symmetrical and simple, contrasting with the complex interior layout. The inner chambers follow a square ninefold plan, with eight two-storied vaulted chambers radiating from a central, double-height domed chamber. The main entrance is an imposing iwan (a high arch) on the south side, slightly recessed, while other sides are decorated with intricate jaalis (stone latticework). Under the central white dome lies the central octagonal sepulcher, the burial chamber containing a cenotaph (a symbolic tomb) of the second Mughal Emperor, Humayun. The cenotaph is aligned north-south, following Islamic tradition, with the head facing north and the face turned toward Mecca. The real burial chamber is located underground beneath the cenotaph, accessible through a separate passage. This burial method, along with pietra dura (marble and stone inlay patterns), became a key feature of Indo-Islamic architecture, later seen in structures like the Taj Mahal.

The main chamber includes a symbolic mihrab (a niche indicating the direction of Mecca) over the central marble lattice, facing west. Unlike traditional mihrabs that inscribe Surah 24, An-Noor from the Quran, this one is outlined to allow light to enter directly from the Qibla (Mecca), symbolizing the Emperor’s elevated status. The chamber’s high ceiling is surrounded by four main octagonal chambers on two floors, connected by arched lobbies. Four auxiliary chambers are placed between them, suggesting the tomb was designed as a dynastic mausoleum. The eight side chambers allow circumambulation (a Sufi practice) around the cenotaph and reflect the Islamic concept of Paradise. Each main chamber has eight smaller chambers, creating a total of 124 vaulted chambers. Many of these smaller chambers contain cenotaphs of Mughal family members and nobles, earning the complex the name "Dormitory of the Mughals." Over 100 graves are located within the complex, though many are not inscribed, making identification uncertain.

The building was the first in India to use a combination of red sandstone and white marble, incorporating elements of Indian architecture, such as small canopies or chhatris surrounding the central dome, which were originally covered with blue tiles.

Char Bagh

The main tomb took more than eight years to build and was placed in the center of a 30-acre (120,000 m²) Charbagh, a Persian-style garden with a four-sided design. This was the first garden of its kind in South Asia on such a large scale. The garden is highly geometric and enclosed, divided into four squares by paved walkways and two central water channels. These features represent the four rivers of jannat, the Islamic idea of paradise. Each square is further split into eight smaller gardens, creating 32 miniature gardens (with the mausoleum at the center), a design common in later Mughal gardens. The water channels seem to disappear under the tomb and reappear on the other side, reflecting a Quranic verse about rivers flowing beneath the "Garden of Paradise."

The tomb stands at the center where the garden’s main paths cross. Its shape and position resemble a garden pavilion, but it marks the resting place of the deceased ruler. "The garden represents sovereignty, and the mausoleum represents dynasty. When the mausoleum is placed in a garden, like at Humayun’s tomb, it shows that the king’s rule continues forever."

The tomb and garden are surrounded by high rubble walls on three sides. The fourth side was originally the Yamuna River, but the river has since moved away. The central walkways end at two gates: a large one in the southern wall and a smaller one in the western wall. The structure has two double-story entrances. The western gate is used today, while the southern gate, used during the Mughal era, is now closed. A baradari, a building with twelve doors to allow airflow, is located on the eastern wall. A hammam, a bath chamber, is on the northern wall.

Other monuments

Tomb and Mosque of Isa Khan: Several monuments are located along the path leading to the tomb enclosure from the main entrance in the west. One of these monuments was built 20 years before the main tomb. This tomb, constructed in 1547 CE, belongs to Isa Khan Niyazi, an Afghan noble in the court of Sher Shah Suri of the Sur Empire. He fought against the Mughals. The octagonal tomb is placed within an octagonal garden, which was built during his lifetime and the reign of Islam Shah Suri, Sher Shah’s son. Later, the garden became the burial place for Isa Khan’s entire family. A three-bay wide mosque made of red sandstone stands to the west of the tomb. The octagonal design of the tomb is similar to other tombs from the Sur dynasty in Delhi’s Lodi Gardens. This tomb shows the development of an architectural style that later appeared in Humayun’s Tomb, though on a larger scale, such as the placement of the tomb in a walled garden.

Bu Halima’s Tomb and Garden: When entering the complex from the west, visitors first enter a garden called Bu Halima’s Garden. Little is known about Bu Halima. The tomb or the raised platform where it once stood is not at the center, suggesting it was added later.

Afsarwala Tomb and Mosque: The Afsarwala Tomb is located at the southwest end of the complex. It is dedicated to an unknown person. One of the marble graves inside the tomb is dated 1566–67 CE. The mosque, built around the same time, is located next to the tomb.

Arab Serai: The name "Arab Serai" means a resthouse for horses. This structure, built by Bega Begum around 1560–1561 CE, was likely for craftsmen working on nearby construction projects. It could hold 300 Arabas, which are carts or vehicles in Persian.

Nila Gumbad: Outside the complex, the tomb known as Nila Burj (now called Nila Gumbad) or "Blue Dome" stands. It is named for its blue glazed tiles. The tomb was built by Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, a Mughal court official, for his servant Miyan Fahim. Fahim grew up with Rahim’s son and died alongside Rahim’s other son during a rebellion in 1625–26 under Emperor Jahangir. The tomb has an octagonal shape on the outside and a square shape inside. Its ceiling is decorated with painted and incised plaster. It has a high dome and lacks the double dome feature common in tombs of that time.

Chillah Nizamuddin Aulia: Located just outside the main complex near the northeastern corner of the principal mausoleum, this structure is believed to have been the residence of Nizamuddin Auliya, a patron saint of Delhi who died in 1325. It is an example of Tughlaq period architecture.

Further away from the main tomb complex are Mughal-period monuments. The Bada Bateshewala Mahal, built between 1603–04, is a tomb for Muzaffar Husain Mirza, Humayun’s grand nephew. It sits on a platform with five arches on each side and has walls decorated with incised and painted plaster. The Chote Bateshewala Mahal was once an octagonal building with an arched ceiling and stone latticework. Both structures are now in a commercial area near the complex’s parking lot. Another structure, Barapula, is a bridge with 12 piers and 11 arched openings. It was built in 1621 by Mihr Banu Agha, a chief eunuch in Jahangir’s court.

Barber’s Tomb: Near the southeast corner of the Char Bagh lies the Nai-ka-Gumbad, or Barber’s Tomb. It belongs to a royal barber and is dated 1590–91 CE based on an inscription inside. Its location near the main tomb and its status as the only other structure in the complex suggest its importance. However, no inscriptions identify the person buried there. The name "Barber’s Tomb" is a local name still in use. The tomb sits on a raised platform reached by seven steps from the south. It has a square shape and a single room covered by a double dome. Inside, two graves are marked with Quranic verses. One grave has the number 999, which may refer to the Hijra year 1590–91. An 1820 watercolor at the British Library labels the structure as "Maqbarah-i-Kokah," meaning "Tomb of Kaka." In Persian, "Kaka" means foster brother. However, the identity of the person remains unknown, and the name may incorrectly refer to a nearby monument in the Chausath Khamba complex, the tomb of Ataga Khan, Humayun’s foster brother, located in Nizamuddin West, not near Humayun’s Tomb.

Tombs in Monument

• Emperor Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun
• Hamida Banu Begum
• Bega Begum
• Shahzada Murad Mirza
• Shahzada Dara Shikoh
• Shahzada Kam Baksh
• Shahzada Bidar Bakht
• Muizuddin Muhammad Jahandar Shah
• Muinuddin Muhammad Farrukhsiyar
• Shahzada Azim-ush-Shaan Mirza
• Shahzada Rafi-ush-Shaan Mirza
• Shahzada Jahan Shah Mirza
• Shahzada Humayun Mirza
• Rafi ud-Darajat
• Rafi ud-Daulah
• Azizuddin Muhammad Alamgir II

Restoration

Before restoration work began, vandalism and illegal activities were common at the tomb's site, which harmed its preservation. At the main entrance of Humayun's Tomb, dirty stalls were set up under an unfair system called tehbazari, and heavy vehicles were parked illegally in open areas. On the Nila Gumbad side, thousands of people living in slums were used by some political leaders to vote for certain candidates during elections. The environment around the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya was also seriously damaged, and the holy tank had become a dirty, polluted pool.

Restoration work started in 1999 by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), after research began in 1997. The project was completed in March 2003. About 12 hectares of lawns were replanted, and over 2,500 trees and plants, such as mango, lemon, neem, hibiscus, and jasmine, were planted in the gardens. A new water system was built for the walkway channels. To allow water to flow naturally through the 12-hectare site without pumps, the water channels were rebuilt with a slope of one centimeter for every 40 meters. This helped water move through the gardens and restored fountains that had not worked for a long time. Other tasks included creating a rainwater collection system with 128 pits to recharge groundwater and cleaning old wells found during the work. This was the first major project funded by the National Cultural Fund (NCF) with private support. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture provided $650,000, and the Oberoi Hotels Group also helped. AKTC is also working to restore Babur's Tomb, the resting place of Humayun's father in Kabul.

After the restoration, the area around the tomb improved greatly. Stalls and other intrusions were removed, and the monuments and gardens were restored. Beautiful gardens now surround the monuments, making them look more dignified. At night, the monument is illuminated and appears very impressive.

In 2009, as part of ongoing work, the ASI and AKTC removed a thick layer of cement concrete from the roof. This layer, added in the 1920s to stop water leaks, had built up over time and weighed about 1,102 tons. It was replaced with a traditional lime-based layer. Later, the same process was used on the tomb's plinth, which was originally made of large quartzite stones weighing over 1,000 kg each. In the 1940s, a layer of concrete was added to fix uneven settling, which damaged the original Mughal-style flooring that matched the West Gate.

The Tomb in literature

Letitia Elizabeth Landon wrote a poem titled The Tomb of Humaioon, Delhi, which was published in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book in 1833. The poem describes a scene and is based on an engraving from a painting by William Purser. The engraving shows a distant view of the tomb.

The mausoleum today

Poorly planned construction projects, such as the Delhi Government's 2006–2007 plans to build a new tunnel connecting East Delhi to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in South Delhi and to widen roads near the tomb for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, created a big risk for the monument. These plans aimed to connect National Highway-24 with Lodi Road. Experts were worried that the historic site might not survive the vibrations from construction work so close to it. Eventually, the Archaeological Survey of India stopped the plans.

On 30 May 2014, a strong storm damaged the tomb when its finial was knocked off the dome. On 19 April 2016, India’s Union Culture Minister, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, revealed the restored finial of the monument. The original finial was preserved and is now on display at the Humayun Tomb World Heritage Site Museum.

Gallery

• View of the Southwestern Corner of Humayun's Tomb
• A reflection of the tomb in water
• Six-pointed stars on one of the pishtaqs of Humayun's Tomb
• Cenotaphs of Daniyal, Murad, and Dara Shikoh in a side room
• A jali mihrab shows the qibla direction when viewed from inside Humayun's cenotaph chamber, looking west
• View of Humayun's Tomb from inside the West Gate
• The Western Facade of the West Gate at Humayun's Tomb
• Isa Khan's mosque, located across from his tomb, built around 1547 CE, near Humayun's Tomb
• Gateway leading to Araba Sarai, south of the pathway toward Humayun's Tomb
• Afsarwala Tomb located near Humayun's Tomb
• Tomb of Humayun, with his barber's tomb (Nai-ka-Gumbad) in the foreground, Delhi (1858 photograph)
• English garden-style roundabouts replaced the square central tanks of the Charbagh garden in 1860
• Humayun's Tomb at night
• Side view of Humayun's Tomb