Mughal architecture was greatly influenced by Persian styles with the coming of the Mughals to India. They constructed excellent mausoleums, mosques, forts, gardens and cities across India. Some of the most prominent examples of Mughal architecture include Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Buland Darwaza, Akbar's Tomb in Sikandra, Itmad-Ud-Daula's Tomb in Agra, the Jama Masjid and Red Fort in Delhi, and the Taj Mahal in Agra. Mughal architecture reached its peak under Shah Jahan, known for his buildings made of white marble richly

1. MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE
Azizur Khan
Tanvi
Gujarathi
Akshata
Hase Swapnil
Kanse
Nikhil Mehta

2. Introduction
• All the early Mughal Rulers except Aurangzeb
were great builders.
• With the coming of the Mughals, Indian
architecture was greatly influenced by Persian
styles. The Mughals constructed excellent
mausoleums, mosques, forts, gardens and cities.
• The Mughal buildings show a uniform pattern both
in structure and character.
• It had a time-span of 132 years, practically from
1526 to 1658, and Agra-Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore-
Kashmir- Kabul, Delhi, Allahabad, Ajmer,
Ahmedabad, Mandu and Burhanpur are its major
centres.

3. Introduction
The main characteristic features of
Mughal architecture are :
• The bulbous domes
• The slender minarets with cupolas at
the four corners
• Large halls
• Massive vaulted gateways and delicate
ornamentation

4. Introduction
• Mughal architecture begins with Akbar who
showed his passion for building by planning and
constructing splendid edifices.
• During his reign Mughal architecture took on new
forms.
• Akbar made free use of both Hindu and Persian
styles.
• The use of red sandstone inlaid with white marble
and painted designs on walls and ceiling are the
salient -features of Akbar's buildings.
• Akbar constructed numerous forts, towers,
palaces, mosques, mausoleums and gateways.

5. Humayun’s tomb
Humayun’s tomb was built by his
widow Haji Begum in 1565 A.D. in
Delhi in 1569A.D., fourteen years
after his death. The mausoleum
stands in the centre of a square
enclosed garden. The garden is
divided and sub-divided into
squares, typical of Mughal
gardens. The lofty double storeyed
structure is built on a huge high
platform terrace which has a row of
calls with arched openings. The
central chamber is octagonal in
shape and contains the tomb. Each
side of the mausoleum has a large
arched alcove in the centre with
smaller ones on either side. It has a
high marble double dome in the
centre and pillared kiosks with
cupolas surrounding it. Built of red
sandstone with an inlay of black,
white and yellow marble it presents
an imposing picture. Planned by a
Persian architect and constructed
by Indian workers, it is a
combination of both Persian and

6. Agra Fort
A greater part of the fort at
Agra was constructed by Akbar
starting in 1565 AD and
completed it in 1574 A.D.
Situated on the bank of the
river Jamuna, it is a massive
and grand structure. The
special feature of this fort is the
2.5 kms. long and 21
metres high circuitous wall of
solid red sand stone. The
stones are linked with iron
rings so close that not even a
hair can pass through. The
entrance to the fort is through
two gateways. The main
entrance known as Delhi Gate
was the ceremonial entrance to
the fort. The other smaller
gateway is called the Hathi Pol
or Elephant Gate because of
the two huge elephants on

7. Fatehpur Sikri
Akbar’s greatest architectural
achievement was the
construction of Fatehpur Sikri,
his Capital City near Agra. The
construction of the walled city
was started in 1569 A.D. and
completed in 1574
A.D. contained some of the
most beautiful buildings – both
religious and secular which
testify to the Emperor’s aim of
achieving social, political and
religious integration. The
religious edifices worth
mentioning are the Jami Masjid
and Salim Chisti’s Tomb. The
tomb built in 1571 A.D. in the
corner of the mosque
compound is a square marble
chamber with a verandah. The
cenotaph has an exquisitely
designed lattice screen around

8. Buland Darwaza
A magnificent gateway was
added later in 1571-72 to
commemorate his conquest of
Gujarat. Built of red sand
stone and marble it is said to
be the “most perfect
architectural achievement in
the whole of India". A flight of
steps lead to the gateway
which is about 53 metres in
height and 39 metres in
width. Entrance is through a
huge arched domed recess. A
broad rectangular strip
bordering the archway has
calligraphic inscriptions on
it. At the corners are slender
turrets. The beautiful
perforated parapet and the row
of kiosks with cupolas add to
the dignity of the monument.

9. Akbar’s Tomb - Sikandra
The Mausoleum of Akbar at
Sikandra near Agra was
started by Akbar and
completed by his son Jahangir
in 1612 A.D. who changed the
original design of his father.
Designed on the model of a
Buddhist Vihara, it is set in the
centre of a square
garden. The enclosure wall on
each side has a gateway. The
main gateway has four white
marble minarets in the four
corners. The Mausoleum has
five terraces, rising from the
basement, one above the
other, diminishing in size as
they ascend. The red sand-
stone entrance gateway is the
largest and is richly decorated
with inlaid coloured stone work.

10. Itmad-Ud-Daula’s Tomb
The Mausoleum of Itmad-ud-
Daula, the revenue minister of
Jahangir and Nur Jehan’s
father was built in Agra on the
banks of the Jumuna. Started
by Jahangir it was completed
by Nur Jehan in 1628 A.D. A
small rectangular structure in
white marble, inlaid with semi-
precious stones and coloured
glass, it is a delicate and
beautiful piece of
architecture. It is the first pure
marble monument and differs
from the typical massive, red
sand-stone structures of earlier
Mughals. Situated in a garden
amidst fountains, it has a
square lower storey with four
minarets in the four corners. A
traceried pavilion forms the
second storey. A central
chamber inside contains the

11. Itmad-Ud-Daula’s Tomb
•Shah Jehan, the most famous of the Mughal builders had a
passion for building.
•His buildings are marked by the quality feminity, grace and
elegance.
• They do not show the masculinity of Akbar's solid red sand-
stone constructions.
•Mughal architecture reached the peaks of excellence during
this reign.
•The main characteristics of his buildings are –
The use of delicately carved white marble richly decorated
with pietra dura or inlay of coloured stones and calligraphy in
black marble.
•Some of his outstanding works are the Moti Masjid or Pearl
Mosque in Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal, the Red fort in Delhi
with the Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas, the Jami Masjid in

12. Jama Masjid - Delhi
The Jama Masjid in Delhi is the
largest mosque in India and
was built between 1650-
1656A.D. It is constructed on a
high platform and approached
by a flight of steps on three
sides. The main entrance is a
double storeyed gateway and
leads to a vast square
courtyard which is enclosed by
pillared corridors. The prayer
hall, rectangular in plan has a
facade of eleven arches. The
high central arch is flanked by
tall slender minarets with
cupolas. White marble panels
with inscriptions frame the
arches. Three domes with
alternate black and white
marble stripes surmount the
prayer hall. On the eastern
corners, stand two tapering

13. Red Fort - Delhi
The fortress is in the shape
of a rectangle 900 metres by
550 metres. The rampart
walls are about 34 metres
high. A moat surrounds the
rampart. Two of the five
gateways of the fort are three
-storeyed structures flanked
by octagonal towers. These
are the Lahori Gate and the
Delhi Gate. Figures of two
huge elephants flank the
Delhi Gate. The main
entrance to the fort is
through the Lahori Gate. A
covered passage with shops
on either side leads to the
palaces inside the fort.
Barracks for soldiers,
audience halls, horse and
elephant stables, and

14. Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal in Agra, a dream
in white marble was built by
Shah Jehan as a memorial to
his beloved wife Mumtaz
Begum. Built on the banks of
the river Jumna, it was started
in 1632 A.D. and took 22
years to complete. Marble
from Makrana and precious
stones from different parts of
the world were used in its
construction. Planned by Isa,
a Persian architect it is a
masterpiece of
architecture. The Taj is
situated in the centre of a high
marble terrace. A marble
minaret of four storeys stands
on each of the four corners of
the terrace. The minarets are
crowned with domes. The
main structure is a square. A
huge, vaulted recess with
smaller arched recesses in two

15. Taj Mahal
An octagonal hall with an
exquisite perforated marble
screen contains the cenotaphs
of Mumtaz and Shah
Jehan. The vaulted ceiling is
crowned in the centre by a
large bulbous dome which
tapers off into a foliated
crest. Around the dome are
four cupolas. The surface of
the walls – exterior and interior
and the cenotaphs are
beautifully decorated with
pietra dura, floral and
geometrical designs. Borders
of inscriptions decorate the
main archways.
A Mosque on the west and a
corresponding structure on the
east in red sand-stone
complete the effect of
symmetry. Situated in a large
enclosed rectangular garden

16. Bibi Ka Maqbara
Aurangzeb being a puritan
did not encourage art in any
form. Architecture and fine
Arts declined during his reign
never to come up again
during Mughal rule. One of
the very few buildings of this
period worth mentioning is
the mausoleum of his wife,
Rabia-Ud-Daurani erected in
1679 A.D. in Aurangabad
(Deccan) by her son. A poor
replica of the Taj Mahal and
half its size, it shows the
extent to which art had
declined. Its noteworthy
features are the latticed
octagonal white marble
screen, which encloses the
tombs and the beaten brass
doors with floral panels and

17. The Mughal period in the Indian
history is one of the glorious
periods that have enriched India in
multifarious ways. Art and
architecture had received a great
fillip during the Mughal period that
had gifted us with architectural
gems that have defied the passage
of time in their appeal and

18. Thank You..