2. About
The splendid mausoleum built in the memory of Emperor Humayun, the second
Mughal ruler to ascend the throne, stands as a magnificent testament to the style
of Mughal royal mausoleums.
It is the first of the grand dynastic garden-tombs commissioned in. The tomb was
commissioned by Bega Begum, Humayun’s Persian wife and chief consort in 1565
AD, nine years after the Emperor’s death.
3. It was completed in 1572 AD under the patronage of the Mughal Emperor Akbar,
the third Mughal ruler and Humayun’s son.
Located in Nizamuddin, East Dehli, Humayun’s tomb or Makbara-e -Humayun is
one of the best preserved Mughal monuments and was declared a UNESCO
World Heritage site in 1993.
4. History
Humayun died in 1556 AD following a fall from stairs. He was laid to rest at his palace
at Purana Quilla in Delhi. Following his death, Delhi was attacked by Hemu, the Hindu
general and Chief Minister of Adil Shah Suri of Suri Dynasty.
To preserve the sanctity of their Emperor’s remains, the retreating Mughal army
exhumed Humayun’s remains and took them to be reburied at Kalanaur in Punjab.
Following her husband’s death, the grieving queen Bega Begum set out for Mecca to
undertake the Hajj pilgrimage and vowed to build a magnificent mausoleum in his
memory.
She employed the services of a Persian architect, Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, hailing from
Herat region of Afghanistan and having an impressive repertoire. Bega Begum not
only commissioned and paid for the construction of the tomb, but supervised its
construction as well.
