History of the Humayun's Tomb

• Babur, the founder of Mughal Empire in India defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last Lodi sultanate ruler in First Battle of Panipat, 1526. 

• Humayun, son of Babur and second Mughal ruler of India died in 1556 A.D. at the Sher Mandal in Purana Qila from where he slipped and fell down. The construction of the mausoleum of Humayun was commenced by his senior widow, known as Haji Begum in 1565 A.D. and with the patronage of Humayun’s son, the great Emperor Akbar, nine years after Humayun’s death. 

• Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi is the first of the grand dynastic mausoleums that were to become synonyms of Mughal architecture with the architectural style reaching its zenith 80 years later at the later Taj Mahal.  

The Architecture of the Humayun’s Tomb 

• Humayun’s Tomb stands within a complex of 27.04 ha. The mausoleum itself stands on a high, wide terraced platform with two bay deep vaulted cells on all four.

• Humayun’s garden-tomb is an example of the charbagh- a four quadrant garden with the four rivers of Quranic paradise.  

• The garden is entered from lofty gateways on the south and from the west with pavilions located in the centre of the eastern and northern walls.