Humayun’s Tomb - A Mughal Masterpiece
Delhi has no shortage of historic sites to visit. From the world famous Red Fort and the narrow alleyways of Chandni Chowk, to the Lodhi Gardens and the Qutub Minar in the south of the city. During our fortnight in India’s capital, amongst sampling the finest food Delhi had to offer, we made every effort to see as many of these grand monuments as possible. One of the most impressive sites we visited was the famous Humayun’s Tomb.
Humayun’s Tomb is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was built in 1570. At the time of its construction, the tomb was the first garden tomb on the Indian subcontinent.
The grand mausoleum was designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas and was commissioned by Humayun’s first wife, the Empress Bega Begum 14 years after the death of her husband. The Empress was committed to making the grandest tomb in the whole empire for her late husband, a sentiment that many years on, would be echoed by Shah Jahan and the Taj Mahal. During the time of its construction, the design of Humayun’s Tomb was unlike anything that had been built before in the Indian Islamic World.
The site of the grand tomb is amongst other mausoleums including the Barber’s Tomb, the tomb of Isa Khan’s and Afsarwala Tomb. This complex of tombs now make up the grounds of Humayun’s Tomb with Humayun’s Tomb itself being known as the “Dormitory of the Mughals” as 150 Mughal family members are now interred within.
Our Experience of Humayun’s Tomb
We arrived at Humayun’s Tomb on an extremely hot day in Delhi with temperatures predicted to reach over 40 degrees celsius by midday. We arrived mid morning and well before the crowds descended and walked straight up to the ticket counter and purchased two tickets (600 rupees each - £5.78 or $7.32).
Tickets acquired, we strolled into the vast grounds. After a tree lined avenue the path splits and we took the right hand fork towards Isa Khan’s tomb.
Isa Khan’s octagonal tomb was beautiful. With colourful blue domes and ornate stone carving, set amongst green lawns and surrounded by red walls, it was a striking start to the day.
The gates to the Serai were massive!
After Isa Khan’s tomb we rejoined the main path and headed towards Humayun’s Tomb. On the way there we passed the remains of the Arab Serai. This ruined caravansary is all that remains of the market and housing for the craftsmen, artists and merchants the Empress had brought in from across the Arab world to help in the tombs construction. The huge arched gate still sits proudly on the side of the approach to Humayun’s Tomb.
As you enter the gates that mark the perimeter of the gardens surrounding Humayun’s Tomb, there is a small museum that gives information about the local area, the construction of the tomb itself and some of the archeological finds they have dug up within the vicinity. It doesn’t look like much but it is really worth a stop as the whole area surrounding the tomb is speckled with incredible historic sites, buildings and ruins. The construction of the nearby Nizamuddin Railway Station unearthed some amazing discoveries. We found during our stay in Delhi that wherever you wandered you’d frequently stumble upon ancient buildings, whether it was in the warren of Mohammadpur to the grounds of Hauz Khas or the Lodhi Gardens.
After the museum and through the gateway arch, the gardens spread out in front of us. Square pools linked by long channels of water led down in a straight line to the raised square mausoleum. The gardens are built around the Islamic concept of a “Paradise Garden”. A charbagh garden follows a square design that attempts to replicate the four paradise gardens mentioned in the Quran.
The grid of gardens is even more obvious from up high!
Sitting in the centre of the symmetrical gardens was the grand tomb of Humayun. Huge red and white stone arches support the base of the massive domed tomb. Steep stairs lead up to the mausoleum itself.
Inside, the mausoleum is austere yet beautiful. Lattice carved stone work lets in patterned light, whilst overhead the domes are ornately decorated. In keeping with the traditional style the tombs themselves are humble made of simple clean white marble.
The shaded cool mausoleum was a tranquil oasis separated into dozens of smaller rooms, each with their own tombs, carvings and intricately latticed windows. The tomb of Humayun is the first example of its type of architecture in India, and became the model of the “Mughal tomb”. You can clearly see its influence on Safdarjung Tomb as well as the iconic Taj Mahal.
In the grounds surrounding the tomb there are many more mausoleums and ruins to explore. You could easily spend most of the day here, taking in the calm atmosphere and amazing historic buildings.
We had loved our time exploring Humayun’s Tomb. We had seen photos and videos online, but nothing we had seen really gave us an idea of the scale and grandeur of the place. From the massive gardens, to the carved window screens inside, every detail of the tombs was intricate, beautiful and amazing.
How to get to Humayun’s Tomb?
Humayun’s Tomb is easily accessible via taxi or rickshaw. You can grab one from the street side, or, if you don’t feel like negotiating prices, use Uber or Ola (see our guide for other useful Delhi tips ).
Humayun’s Tomb is nearby to the Nizamuddin Railway Station and is technically walkable but we would not recommend this as it involves very busy main roads (Delhi roads are not to be underestimated!). If you do come in by train, you can just grab a quick cheap rickshaw to the entrance.
For those travelling by Metro, there are two stations nearby, Jawahar Lal Nehru (Violet Line) and Supreme Court Station (Blue Line) again you’ll need to grab a short rickshaw ride from the station to the tomb.There are also bus stops located on the main road just outside the tomb.
We would definitely recommend combining a visit to the amazing Sunder Nursery whose entrance is easily walkable from the ticket counter of Humayun’s Tomb. It was a great way to cool off and chill out after exploring the mausoleum grounds.
If you’d prefer to have everything arranged in advance and don’t mind paying for piece of mind, you can prebook transport online through 12Go.
What is the entrance fee?
Tickets cost 600 rupees for foreigners (£5.78 or $7.32).
Tickets can be bought using credit and debit cards for a discount of 10% at least that’s what the signs we saw after we had paid in cash said.
What time does Humayun’s Tomb open?
Humayun’s Tomb opens at sunrise and closes at 9pm. We’d recommend getting to the tomb early, as it is an extremely popular tourist site and so will get very busy as the day goes on.
What is the dress code?
There is no official dress code, but as this is a mausoleum and a UNESCO World Heritage Site don’t dress like an idiot. It’s a very busy site for tourists throughout India and the rest of the world, and as such, a female traveller in hot pants may get some unwanted attention!
Are there toilets available?
There are public toilets available within the grounds. We didn’t use them so best of luck to you and let us know what they are like in the comments below.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
Scroll through to see some more photos from our day at Humayun’s Tomb!
After you’ve finished visiting Humayun’s Tomb, why not walk over the road to the Sunder Nursery for a peaceful walk around our favourite park in Delhi!
*Prices correct at time of visiting - May 2023
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