All about Humayun’s tomb garden: Inside Humayun tomb, plan & history

They call it the garden of tombs
Graves and mausoleums sit amid the blooms.
Humayun’s tomb is more than the eternal resting place
Of His royal highness – the 2nd Mughal mighty grace. 

Discover what lies inside Humayun tomb gardens, its history and the architecture. A complete guide to visiting Humayun’s tomb in Delhi – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

One of the must-visit destinations in Delhi is what is believed to be the first tomb garden in the Indian subcontinent. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Humayun’s tomb Delhi is much more than an ode to the 2^nd Mughal emperor of India. As you walk inside Humayun tomb complex, you will realize that it is in fact, the resting place of many notable and not-so-well-known historical figures. Over my two visits to the Humayun’s tomb garden, I have gathered interesting tales about all the structures and monuments enclosed. And that is what you can look forward to when I walk you through the Garden of Tombs at the Humayun tomb Delhi.

Though my first major visit to Delhi was as a teenager with my parents, I could not visit the Humayun’s tomb. Simple reason – it was closed for it for restoration. It had been declared a UNESCO heritage site around then and the place was in dire need for expert repairs. My first trip to see this tomb was on the eve of my departure for the Epic Indo- Nepal Trip. Though I did see most of the Humayun ka maqbara, I did miss out on a few structures. Thankfully my visit this year took care of that.

In this blog article, I will be taking you through all the major attractions included in the layout of Humayun Tomb plan. Along with that, you will be privy to the complete Humayun’s tomb history and architecture. As always, I will be sharing useful tips like the best way to get to Humayun tomb (includes the nearest metro station), the entrance fees, how to book tickets and the timings. In short, this is your complete guide to Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi.  

Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. This means that at no cost to you, I will receive a small commission if you purchase through my link. Thank you for supporting me with this.

Humayun’s Tomb History | Who built Humayun’s tomb?

Built-in the 1565 – 72 AD, Humayun’s tomb garden has a long and illustrious history. In fact, some of it even goes beyond this period –  to the time of Sher Shah Suri. There are several other astounding facts about Humayun’s tomb that you can read here. For now, I will leave the pre-dated tombs of the Humayun tomb complex and its facts. I will jump straight to the mausoleum of the 2nd Mughal Emperor of India – Humayun.

Humayun died quite young as he slipped a staircase of his palace, leaving behind a vast empire for his thirteen-year-old son Akbar – the Great. He was initially buried in the Purana Qila. His first wife Bega Begum had just returned from Haj and as a memorial for him commissioned this grand tomb structure. It took around 9 years to complete after which Humayun’s body was shifted here.

What was interesting to note here is that after the garden tomb was done, it was neglected for quite some time – largely owing to the fact that the capital of Mughals had shifted to Agra. Its vast ground was used for vegetable farming by people until the British took it over. They replaced the fountains of the Char bagh gardens of the tomb complex with English-styled gardens. It was Lord Curzon in 1903-1909 who finally restored the garden to its original design.

However, the Humayun tomb garden lost a lot of its glory after that. During partition, the grounds were used as a camp for the Muslim refugees for around 5-6 years, A lot of plundering and defacing took place during this period and naturally, it was in a derelict state until the ASI (archaeological society of India) took over. It was in 1993 when it was finally declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and that breathed new air into a dying monument.

~ If you are looking at skip-the-line tickets along with a guide, you can book one here ~

Humayun tomb plan

While the tomb of Humayun is the crown jewel of this tomb garden in Delhi, it has several other structures that you must visit. The Humayun tomb plan includes 2 major gates, one Char bagh (Mughal garden,) mosques as well as a Serai or a rest house to visit. In addition to that, there are over 150 graves enclosed within the many tombs in the garden – each one with its own story. It is no wonder that the term “Garden of Tombs” is ideal for this place.

The above Humayun’s tomb map has been re-created by me from a picture clicked at the venue. Before I get to the other points of interest in this tomb garden of Delhi, let’s skip straight to the main tomb of Humayun. Remember though that you will encounter the other places before you get to this centerpiece.

The architecture of Humayun’s tomb Delhi

The main Humayun Tomb architecture can be largely categorized as Persian style. It, however, does have shades of Rajasthani architecture by way of its chhatri with small domes. These nicely offset the arched alcoves and the double dome which is a typical Persian feature. Interestingly, it is this fusion of Persian and Rajasthani architecture that created another distinct style of art called the Mughal style.

The entire plan of Humayun’s tomb was designed by a Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas who came to Delhi from present-day Uzbekistan. He created a gigantic mausoleum with red sandstone on a 7m high platform. The building itself is two-storied and the total height from the ground is around 47m. This mammoth structure is around 91m wide and is right at the center of four paths that make up a typical Mughal-style garden called Char Bagh.  

There are two gates that lead to this extremely symmetrical enclosure. You will find yourself entering this section through its west gate. The southern entrance used to be the royal entrance but is no longer open. The entire site was located by the River Yamuna. However, today with the river having changed its course, you will not find any trace of its banks.

Through the West Gate Entrance of Humayun tomb garden

Past the Arab Serai Gate, you will get to the main entrance to the famed tomb of Humayun. This was not really the main entrance back then at the time of the Mughals. The interesting thing here is that the gate actually has rooms on its upper floors. I am not sure what they were used for but an educated guess would be possible for the guards of this enclave.

It is from here that you get the first glimpse of that red-colored beauty – the grand Humayun’s tomb. Sitting high up there on a platform was the very monument that I wanted to see. Less than a tomb and more like a palace, this structure had me completely enraptured and for the next few minutes, my silence was only punctuated by the sound of my camera clicking.

The tomb is perfectly aligned with the entrance and it is no wonder that you will find this vantage spot almost always crowded with people trying to capture that perfect shot. The only chance that you might have of capturing a non-crowded shot from the West gate entrance is if you get to the tomb garden early in the morning.

Char Bagh – The garden of Humayun’s Tomb

The scene in front of me seemed familiar. It felt as if I had seen this somewhere until the source of familiarity struck me. It was the way the garden was laid out  – the manicured lawn is similar to what you will see at the famed Taj Mahal. In fact, as history goes, it served as an inspiration for the wonder of the world. This was one of the Persian influences that descended into India and you will find many other Mughal monuments adopting it.

Char Bagh – literally translates to “Four gardens” and its quadrilateral shape is what gives it this name. This particular garden had 4 major pathways at the center of which is the maqbara of Humayun.  2 perpendicular channels of water crisscrossed the entire quadrilateral into what seemed like 4 actual waterways.

This garden was one of the reasons why this entire landmark was termed as the Garden of tombs. The typical design of this garden was said to represent the imaginary Garden of Eden and truly, seeing it then did make me feel like I was in heaven!

The façade of the tomb of Humayun

As you walk closer and closer to the looming mausoleum, I bet you will start falling in love with the red sandstone marvel. It is interesting how they have used white marble alcoves to contrast the red. On the ground floor (the base), you will see closed doors and if you are attempting to count them all, well, it is going to be a long walk! Around the entire base are 72 of those white-arched cells, that possibly lead you to the graves of the other Mughal nobles here.

A high flight of staircase takes you through the main arch of the base right to the top where you slowly see the white marble dome of Humayun’s tomb getting larger and larger.  This is one of those monuments that you need to behold from its boundary for the true beauty of it can be best seen from it.

When you are along those latticed walls, look up beside the white central dome. You will see miniature blue domed balconies called Chhatris. The Chhatris is an adaptation from the Rajasthani style of architecture and you will find them in all the major palaces and forts of Rajasthan including the beautiful Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur.

Adding to the allure of the Humayuns Tomb are the delicate lattice work windows that allow you a glimpse of the actual tombs within the chambers. I was particularly mesmerized by the play of light and shadows that made the entire room beautiful. The other thing that had me mesmerized is the perfect symmetry of the Tomb for from every angle, it looked as beautiful as the other. Even the silhouette it made against the evening sun, was just perfect.

Inside Humayun Tomb – the interiors

Inside the tomb of Humayun is another story. For one, the high ceiling chamber was a huge relief from the sweltering heat outside. There is a central chamber that is visible from the entrance which has another 8 cells or rooms connected to it. The beauty of this entire structure lies in the fact that if you are standing at the entrance of one room, you can get a glimpse of the latticed windows of the room across the main chamber.

Check out the high ceiling of the central tomb which has this ancient lamp hanging from it. The ceiling here is actually the massive white dome that we had seen from outside. The fascinating thing is the way the architects have designed the lattice windows to light up the room. Even at sundown this chamber had enough light.

The grave of Humayun had inscriptions around it and symbolically lay in the North-South direction. They say that the body of Humayun too, is laid down this way as per Islamic norms and his head is turned to face Mecca. The body actually lies in the grave below this structure but no one is allowed to access the same.

The connecting chambers have several other graves, none of which I could identify at that point. The lack of signage also, made it difficult. They say though that these are bodies of the royal Mughals including the wives of Humayun, his first grandson – Dara Shikoh and many more. In total, there are more than 100 such graves in the complex and this is what earns Humayun’s tomb the name – “The Dormitory of the Mughals”.

And with that, we shall now get down to the other important structures inside Humayun’s tomb garden.

The other points of attraction in Humayun’s tomb garden

Bu Halima’s Gateway to Humayun’s Tomb

The first thing that I encountered after I walked inside Humayun’s tomb complex was this old, archaic gateway called the Bu Halima’s gateway. The gateway led to a garden with an unfinished tomb of a mysterious woman Bu Halima.

So, who was Bu Halima?

You can well climb the stone structure in a quest to know more about this lady but except for her grave, you will not find anything. Some say that she was a noblewoman important to Humayun while some say she was her wet-nurse who came to Delhi along with his father Babur. Either way, this remains a story lost in time.

Arab Sarai Gate at Humayun tomb Delhi

The next gateway is way grander than the noblewoman’s arch. Called the Arab Sarai Gate, this one led to the residence of the Persian craftsmen who built the actual Humayun’s tomb. The gate had apparently collapsed over time and after some effort, it was restored to its current form. You can see the pictures of the collapsed state on the signboard near the gate and while you are busy reading it, don’t miss the 6-sided star on the gates. A frequent occurrence from now to the end of the tour for this was the Islamic cosmic symbol.

Made with sandstone, you will see the quintessential marble inlay work along its façade, especially around its projected windows. This gate is just just one of the three gates of the Arab Serai which had its own baoli (step well). One of the other gates (the eastern one) used to lead to a marketplace. Today, you will only see ruins of the arched rooms that might have been a bustling bazaar. 

Other tombs in the Humayun’s tomb garden

As I mentioned earlier, it is not just the Mughals who are buried here. The Garden of Tombs has some interesting structures, some which pre-date Humayun’s tomb. Let’s begin with the first one which is right near the entrance of this Delhi landmark.

Isa Khan’s Tomb inside Humayun tomb garden

This is a stunning blue octagonal structure that is bound to catch your eye as you enter the Humayun’s tomb complex. (marked one in the Humayun tomb garden map). The small enclosure to the right of the entrance has a tomb and a mosque. Identified as Isa Khan’s tomb, this monument was built at least 20 years before Humayun’s tomb.

It was made for a courtier Isa Khan who was a part of Sher Shah Suri’s court and had fought against the Mughals. It was in fact the courtier himself who build this structure while he was still alive. Today, it is not just his final resting place but that of his entire family. Once you are inside the tomb, look up at the gorgeous painted ceiling.

What stood out for me in Isa Khan tomb were its blue-glazed chhatris – a feature that is typical of the era of Sher Shah Suri and the Lodhi dynasties that ruled Delhi before Humayun. To the west of this main tomb are the mosque of Isa Khan with its three arched doorways and a carved mihrab. This tomb too is made with red sandstone.  

Afsarwala Tomb & Mosque

This was added later for an officer of Akbar’s court. The tombstone here indicates that it was built around 1567 AD, just before the Humayun’s tomb was commissioned. You will find that there is a mosque next to it.

The structure has red sandstone and also, some black marble. At one point, when I stood to take a picture of the whole structure, it was amazing to see how well the three-arched gateways of the mosque and the tomb were aligned.

As to who rests in this part of Humayun tomb garden, no one knows. There is no inscription or identification left behind.

Barber’s tomb inside the Humayun’s tomb complex

Also called Nai-ka-Gumbad, this structure can be seen from the main mausoleum. Popular belief is that this belongs to the royal barber of Humayun and it is he and his wife who are buried here. However, there is no major proof of the same.

On one of the graves of this small mausoleum, you will see an inscription 999. Historians believe this corresponds to the year – 1590. The Barber’s tomb is an excellent vantage point to capture the mighty tomb of Emperor Humayun.

Nila Gumbad inside the Humayun’s tomb garden

This is located at the far end – almost outside a gate of the tomb garden of Humayun. A lot of visitors here tend to miss out on it owing to its far-flung location. I did too – during my first visit to the Delhi Humayun tomb . Pity I must say coz this is one of the most beautiful structures here.

The Blue Dome or the Nila Gumbad was built by Abdul Rahim Khan who was the son of Bairam Khan. Bairam Khan was a close friend of Humayun and the chief army commander. He became the shadow king when Emperor Humayun died. In fact, he is best known as the guardian of the 13-year old Akbar who then ascended the throne.

That said, this tomb was built for Miyan Fahim – who was a close friend (almost like an adopted son) to the son of Abdul Rahim Khan. Miyan Fahim lost his life along with his real son while fighting for Emperor Akbar against the rebellion staged by the crown prince – Jahangir.

 The structure gets its name from the azure-glazed tiles on its main dome. The tomb is octagonal in shape and just has one single chamber. I found myself completely mesmerized by its painted ceiling. This particular structure was very badly damaged when Humayun’s tomb was found. It took quite a bit of effort to restore it to its present condition.

While these are the key attractions of the current Humayun tomb garden, there are a few more of these tombs located in its buffer zone. Exit the main entrance and right opposite is Sunder Nursery. This nursery was earlier known as Batashewala complex and it still has a few more of the graves. If you have the time, you must pay a visit and see how heritage merges with nature in this garden near Humayun’s tomb .

For now, I conclude this mega tour of Humayun’s tomb in Delhi. The next section is all about getting you equipped for your own visit to this UNESCO World Heritage site in Delhi.

Common FAQs about Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi

Travel and Photography Tips

• There are very few restrooms within the premises.
• A few food stalls are available at the entrance.
• Comfortable cotton clothes if summer or warm woolens for winter is advised
• Carry plenty of water as there is a lot of walking to be done. Comfortable flat shoes are the best for this place
• A wide lens is highly recommended for capturing the architectural beauty of the place. If you are an avid birder, you are likely to spot a few beauties in the tomb garden. For that a basic 55 – 250mm should be good enough.

Before you go, pin this

Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. This means that at no cost to you, I will receive a small commission if you purchase through my link. Thank you for supporting me with this.

Ami

Popularly referred to as a Restless Ball of Energy. My Mom refuses to entertain my complaints about my equally restless daughter & assures my husband that I was born with a travel bug.

I am a Post-Graduate in Marketing by qualification and a travel blogger by passion. Besides travel, I enjoy photography and if you don’t find me at my desk, I would be out playing badminton or swimming or just running. I believe in planning for every long weekend through the year. And when I cannot travel physically, I travel virtually through this travel blog. My travel stories have also, got published on various websites and magazines including BBC Travel, Lonely Planet India and Jetwings. I have recently published my first book – When Places Come Alive – a collection of stories that are based on legends, landscapes, art and culture of a place which is available in both ebook and paperback format.