Thursday, April 16, 2015

Delhi: Humayun's Tomb

History:
  • The Mughal Emperor, Humayun, died in 1565.  
  • The tomb was finished being constructed in 1572.
  • This structure is the first example of Mughal architecture in India.
  • The Taj Mahal was inspired by Humayun's Tomb, the century after it was built.
  • Humayun's Tomb is the connection between the Gur Emir , the tomb of his ancestor and the Taj Mahal, the tomb of his descendent.  
  • The tombs of the deceased emperor's ancestors were buried in the garden of Humayun's Tomb during the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries.

Who Built Humayun's Tomb?
  • Humayun's widow, Hamida Benu Begum, began the construction of her husband's tomb.
  • Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, who was Persian, built and finished the tomb.
  • The architecture of the tomb is strongly influenced by Persian and Indian architecture.
  • The architect constructed this structure in the center of  Persian-style garden with a quadrilateral form.
Why was it built?
  • This structure was built as a tomb for the deceased Mughal emperor and to commemorate him.

How Big is Humayun's Tomb?
  • The tomb is 47 meters high and has a breadth of 91 meters high.
  • The tomb was built on top of a 7 meter high platform.
  • The building is made out of red sandstone while the actual tomb is made out of yellow and black marble.
  • The structure is two-stories and is crowned with a white Persian-style dome.
Fun Facts:
  • Humayun's Tomb is the first garden-tomb in India.
  • Graceful arches are located in the perimeter of the building.
  • This structure earned the name necropolis of the Mughal Dynasty because no other structure contains such a high number of tombs of emperors and their relatives.
  • The center chamber is the shape of an octagon with corner chambers, which contain the tombs of members in the royal family.  
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