HUMAYUN’S

TOMB
Harshita Shiva, Ashmit Kaur &
Bittu Kamilya
HUMAYUN’S
TOMB
 INTRODUCTION
Humayun's Tomb was built by Mirak Mirza Ghiyath who was of Persian
descent. It's construction was initiated by Mughal Emperor Humayun's second wife -
Hamida Banu Begum in the memory of her deceased husband. The construction took a
span of nine years, it began in the year 1565 and was completed in the year 1572 .
It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent, and is located in Nizamuddin
East, Delhi, India.

Humayun’s Tomb is made of Dholpur Red Sandstone. This stone is very much used
during the Mugal Era. Many monuments and tombs of Mugal Era are made of this
stone.
1561
The orginal time of the
building when it was built.

1857
Colonial preservation efforts of ASI
under the aegis of British imperial
powers.

1993
Its modern designation as
World Heritage Site.
 HISTORICAL
SIGNIFICANCE
Humayun’s Tomb has had immense significance for the Mughals , and the tomb was also
accorded the status of a place of pilgrimage, often visited together with the dargah of
Hazrat Nizamudin Auliya. Emepror Akbar made nine recorded visits, Emperors Jahangir
and Shah Jahan continued the tradition of pilgrimage to the tomb. Six of the later mughal
emperors were eventually buried in 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 , choose to find sanctuary here thus establishing the relevance
and high regard Mughals had for Humayun’s Tomb till the end of the dynasty.
 ARCHITECTURAL
SIGNIFICANCE
1. The complex consists of a large garden laid out in four-fold style. There are several pools in the garden which are all
joined by channels. There are two entrances to the tomb – the main is in the south of the complex and the other one
is on the west. Along the northern and eastern walls are a pavilion and a bath. The mausoleum is constructed on a
terraced platform with arched cells along the sides.
2. It is an octagon with four long and four short sides. Atop this irregular octagon is a pair of 42.5 metre high domes
which themselves are surrounded by pillared kiosks. At the middle of each side, huge arched vaults are to be found
and a number of smaller ones. Inside there is an octagonal chamber. Overlooking the chamber are interconnected
vaulted roof compartments. An intricate web of corridors and galleries connects them all. Above this is another
chamber in which is a carbon copy of the camber on the ground floor. The outer walls of the structure are
constructed in red sandstone; blank and white marble mark the borders.
3. The original plan was so good and the construction materials used of such a high quality that there have been only
minimal architectural interventions in the original structure since then.
Impact of this tomb on Mughal architecture
4. The Humayun’s Tomb marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of sub-continental and Islamic
architecture in India. After this, a series of tombs were constructed for Kings and Nawabs.
 ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

01 LINE – The use of

horizontal and vertical
lines in the elevation
03
SHAPE – The shape of
dome is bulbous. The arches
are pointed.

COLOR – The usage of TEXTURE- There is a

red sandstone and white

04
combination of the

02 marble indicates that the

color of entire structure is
red and white.
rough texture of the
sandstone and soft
texture of white marble.
 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

01
PATTERN 02 CONTRA
STtomb was built from
Humayun’s
Geometrical patterns a the
red sandstone and white marble
interior of the central dome.
and thus exudes a stark contrast
The various jaali patterns
against the blue sky.
because of which the interiors
are well lit, they act as latice
screens from which the
sunlight enters the interiors.
03 EMPHASI
S of the Humayun’s
The dome
tomb acts as a marker in the
structure. The emphasis is
because of the white colour and
also because of the bulbous shape
of the dome.
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

04 BALANCE
The structure in all perspectives is a balanced structure,
having a bqalanced plan, elevations and a balanced view.

05 RYTHM
The use of continous arches
which direct the movement of
eye in a straight line.
 EXPRESSIONISM
Humayun was the second emperor of the Mughal empire.
Humayun's tomb serve as a focus tor memory of the king. Humayun was the l son and successor of
Babur, who had founded the Mughal dynasty.

He ruled trom 1530 to 1540 and again from 1555 to 1556

Humayun was fataly injured by falling down the staircase of his library. When Humayun had died in
1556, Bega Bequm was so grieved over heri husband's death that she dedicated her life thenceforth
to a sole purpose the construction of the most magnicent mausoleum in the Empire, at a site neari
the Yamuna River in Delhi for the memorial of the late Emperor.

Thus, the humayun's tomb is an expression of love of wife towards her

dead husband.
It is an expression of the dedication of a wife towards her husband.
 SYMBOLISM
The building can be considered a memorial to the expansion and the establishment of the vast Mughal
Empire in India, a symbol of a vision of kingship and an affirmation of the Mughal power and
permanence in India.

It can also be considered asi It embodiment of the secular principles promoted by Akbar. In building
such a remarkable monument, Akbar (to whom the patronage of the building is attributed), provided the
city of Delhii with a visual and religious signifier.

THUS INSPIRED

It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating construction of the Taj

Mahal.
 THINGS TO OBSERVE AT
HUMAYUN’S TOMB
1. Symmetry: Notice that everything is symmetrical. The entire structure with the ‘Char-bagh’
garden layout is perfectly symmetrical. Just pause and think how much of planning went into
achieving this core principle of Islamic Design.

2. Merging of Styles Notice how architectural styles are merging – you will see influences of
Persian, Turkish and Indian architecture in the structure. It’s an interesting game to play – try to
guess which element belongs to which style.

3. No Sculpture: Notice that you do not see sculpture or paintings of people- Islam does not believe
in portraying the physical form of things but their true essence.

4. Sacred Geometry: Geometry is considered the language of the universe. You will notice a
common feature of Islamic art – many geometric patterns used in repetition- this is meant to
represent the infinite.
INTERIOR OF HUMAYUN’S TOMB
MULTIMEDIA
 OUR REVIEWS
It is agreat example of Persian architect, The monument is of great cultural and architecthtural
significance as it date back to the Mughal era . The place is enriched with beauty, as highlighted inside
and outside both are very nice structural figure. we appreciate the magnificence of engineering that was
worked around hundreds of years back with no innovation support and cutting edge implies.

There is an extraordinary greenery outside where you can walk and can appreciate the magnificence of
the tomb all things considered. The south passageway is shut however the west passage is open
constantly. We saw the perfection of the architecture and the greenary is amazing. The interior, celling
everything is top notch. This spot is genuinely exceptionally wonderful and endless.

-”Ashmit Kaur”
-”Harshita Shiva”

-”Bittu Kamilya”
 RESOURCES
 https://www.slideshare.net/ankita20111994/humayuns-tomb-51705670

 https://www.nizamuddinrenewal.org/conservation/humayun-tomb/

 http://yellowperiscope.com/72-hours-in-delhi-part-2-humanyuns-tomb/
THANKYOU 