To build this grand mausoleum, Emperor Akbar invited Sayyid Muhammad-i Mirak and created the most perfectly planned octagonal building ever built.

To build this grand mausoleum, Emperor Akbar invited Sayyid Muhammad-i Mirak and created the most perfectly planned octagonal building ever built.

The mausoleum, built by local craftsmen is a synthesis of local architectural elements such as the funerary chhatris of the Rajputs, the gold finials from Hindu temples, coupled with Central Asian planning, garden design and use of elements such as glazed tiles.

All these elements came together to create the splendour of Mughal architectural style.

For the Mughals, the tomb of Humayun was accorded a place of pilgrimage, often visited together with the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.

Emperor Akbar made nine recorded visits, and Emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan continued the tradition of pilgrimage to the tomb.

Six of the later Mughal emperors were eventually buried at Humayun’s Tomb—amongst the 160 graves of Mughal family members found here.

The last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar, facing imminent arrest by the British forces, chose to find sanctuary here thus establishing the relevance and high regard Mughals had for Humayun’s Tomb till the end of the dynasty.

The monumental scale and geometric perfection achieved at Humayun’s Tomb by the Mughal builders was meant to instill a sense of awe in a manner mega architectural projects continue to do the world over.

The monumental scale and geometric perfection achieved at Humayun’s Tomb by the Mughal builders was meant to instill a sense of awe in a manner mega architectural projects continue to do the world over.

The char-bagh layout of the Humayun’s Tomb garden is the earliest known example of a perfect geometrical layout with the four central pathways creating four quadrants, each of which is further divided into eight plots said to form the Hasht Bihisht (eight spaces of paradise).

The enclosed garden with flowing water was important to the early Mughals as another reminder of their Persian roots.

At the ground level, the mausoleum stands on a low square platform, each side of which is 112.8 metre in length.

This platform paved with large blocks of Delhi quartzite stone rises from the garden level and on this stands the ground level arcade, 6.5-metre high, containing 17 arched recesses on each of the four sides—eight on either side of the central staircase and an additional arch on each of the four chamfered corners.

Each of the arched recesses lead to tomb chambers, intended as mini mausoleums where over 160 Mughal family members lie buried.

The actual rubble masonry grave of the Emperor lies in a small room in the centre of the mausoleum—devoid of any inscription or ornamentation.

Each of the four facades have 16 arched openings to vaulted tomb chambers and a central archway with a flight of steps to the mausoleum.

The lofty central arches of the mausoleum are topped by two canopies with their domes covered with glazed ceramic tiles—a reminder of their Central Asian homelands for the Mughal builders.

With the dome in the centre, the Humayun’s Tomb has eight distinct axes.

The central axis is marked by a lofty central arch in the centre of each facade.

Similarly, the diagonal axis is marked by chamfered corners of the mausoleum, the two platforms and the roof canopies also included in the diagonal axis.

Monumental gateways in the centre of the southern and western sides give access to Humayun’s Garden-Tomb.

Corresponding to the gateways are two pavilions in the northern and eastern sides.

The east pavilion overlooked the river Yamuna.

The platforms—meant for the Mughal tents—standing at the intersection of some of the pathways in each quadrant are surrounded by several tanks—helping create a cool micro-climate.

Arcaded walls, six-metre high, enclose the garden on the west, north and south while a low wall was built on the east to provide uninterrupted views across the river.

The enclosure walls were originally plastered with red plaster in the spandrels of the arch contrasting with the white of the remaining portion but now, only three arches retain this original plaster.

Garden Restoration

Garden Restoration

The garden restoration was undertaken by AKTC during 1999–2002 as part of His Highness the Aga Khan’s gift on the 50th anniversary of India’s independence.

Over 3 km of sandstone was hand-chiselled for the channels, the beds of the tanks and channels repaired, and the fountains and waterfalls restored.

The garden was replanted with flora described in Mughal texts.

Along the enclosure wall, tall trees like mango and neem were planted, and on the four corners of the gardens citrus were planted, and intersections of pathways had groves of flowering shrubs like pomegranate, hibiscus, harsingar, motia and mogra.

The Government of India commemorated the successful garden restoration by issuing a postage stamp in 2008.

Humayun’s Tomb’s Conservation

Humayun’s mausoleum’s conservation was undertaken by AKTC in partnership with the ASI during 2007-13, with support from the Tata Trusts.

The conservation works have restored the architectural integrity and the original Mughal splendour.

On 31-May 2014, one of the worst sandstorms hits Humayun's Tomb.

The 22 feet tall wooden log holding the finial in place had been weakened due to years of water percolation, and eventually succumbs to the unrelenting winds.

The finial crashes 70 feet onto the roof of the Humayun’s Tomb.

Following the damage, it was considered too valuable and fragile to remain on the dome.

The exact replica was restored to the dome which required a 22 feet-long log of teak wood, specially manufactured copper sheets of 99.4 percent purity, the application of eight layers of gold leaf -provided by Titan Company.

The original finial has been repaired and installed at the Humayun’s World Heritage Site Museum.

Dome & Drum

Using fine hand tools, craftsmen chiselled out the cement mortar from the stone joints in the dome before using traditional lime mortar to fill the stone joints.

The decorative sandstone drum required major repairs, where the decayed stones were carefully replaced with new stones.

Terrace

Investigations from the roof revealed that at least four additional layers of concrete were laid on the roof from the mid-20th century, totaling over 40 centimeters in excess thickness or a load of over 1 million kilos.

This concrete needed to be removed from the roof to achieve multiple conservation objectives - restoring the original levels and in turn revealing buried architectural elements, reducing the excess load on the roof, restoring the water disposal mechanism through rainwater spouts, finally, restoring a traditional lime-based roof layer to ensure long-term preservation.

To prevent damage due to vibrations, craftsmen used hand tools to dismantle the 20th-century concrete layers laid on the roof.

Canopies

A 19th century painting from the Victoria and Albert Museum, UK showed blue tilework on smaller 8 canopies against the white marble dome in the background.

Though tile fragments were still visible at the start of the conservation effort, careful scientific investigations revealed the original patterns.

The process required three years of experimentation and commenced under the guidance of master craftsmen invited from Uzbekistan.

During this experimentation phase, over 20,000 individual pieces of tiles in the five colours used were made until an exact match could be prepared.

All surviving tiles were retained in-situ, even if these had lost their glaze.

The restoration of glazed tiles in their original patterns has significantly enhanced the Mughal design intention at Humayun’s Tomb.

Main Hall

Repetitive layers of paint and limewash applied to the wall surfaces of the Main Hall in the late-20th century had disfigured the historic character and were required to be carefully scrapped off.

Cement plaster as well as decayed loose lime plaster was removed from all wall surfaces and replaced with a traditional lime mortar mix.

Although there are historical records of the main hall being covered with tiles, this could not be restored as neither the pattern nor extent was known, and the project judiciously avoided any conjecture.

Lower arcade

On each facade of the mausoleum are 17 arched openings, and one on each of the chamfered edges.

Though the facing of this spectacular arcade is clad in sandstone with marble inlay, the ‘half-domed’ wall surfaces are plastered with ornamental star-shaped patterns.

A doorway with a sandstone door frame allows access to the vaulted chambers beyond, intended as miniature mausoleums wherein lie buried 160 Mughal family members.

Water seepage caused the loss of original lime plaster, which was replaced with cement plaster in the 20th century.

An independent peer-review unanimously agreed that the desired red-white contrast of the Mughal builders be restored.

To prevent further deterioration of sandstone and ensure authenticity of material, form and design, this cement was removed.

Lower Plinth

The 4,000 sqm plinth, forms a significant interface between the garden and the mausoleum.

It was originally paved with large blocks of Delhi quartzite stone, which were covered with cement in the 20th century, possibly to provide an even walking surface.

This, however, disfigured the historic architectural character and stability of the structure.

The cement concrete laid on the plinth disfigured the historic architectural character, was removed and stonework restored.

Most of the blocks weighed more than a tonne and it required over a dozen craftsmen to lift and reset a single stone.

A bedding of lime concrete was provided to ensure that no water ingress occurred.