Humayun’s Tomb

Humayun's tomb is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi, India. In 1558, Humayun's primary consort, Empress Bega Begum, commissioned the mausoleum, which was designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas and his son, Sayyid Muhammad. It is located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, India, and was the first garden-tomb in the Indian subcontinent. The tomb was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and joined the list of the most beautiful historical sites in India, and substantial repair work has been completed since then.

The tomb was the first Indian edifice to adopt the Persian double dome on a high neck drum and is crowned with a high brass finial ending in a crescent, which is customary in Timurid tombs, and reaches a height of 47 meters and a plinth of 91 meters. The outer layer of the double or double-layered dome supports the white marble facade, while the inner section shapes the vast internal volume. The rest of the structure, in contrast to the pristine white external dome, is composed of red sandstone, with white and black marble and yellow sandstone details to break up the uniformity.

The structure was the first to use its unique combination of red sandstone and white marble, and it incorporates several elements of Indian architecture, such as the small canopies or chhatris that surround the central dome, which is common in Rajasthani architecture and was originally covered in blue tiles.