HUMAYUN’S TOMBART APPRECIATION

BY – ANKITA JAIN 1130100388

LOCATION MAP

MAP OF DELHI

HUMAYUN’S TOMB

The site was chosen on the banks of Yamuna river, due to its proximity to Nizamuddin Dargah. Not to scale

1) The ‘original’ time of the building when it was built.

2) Colonial preservation efforts of the ASI under the aegis of the British imperial powers

3) Its modern designation as a World Heritage Site.

1561

1857

1993Humayun’s Tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993, and extensive conservation work has been carried out since. This began with restoration of the garden, restoration of pathways, repairing of water channels, and even planting shrubs and other plants that were popular in the time of the Mughals.

The location of the tomb in that particular site opens the discussion of constructing political power through monuments. The tomb was located in that particular site primarily due to two factors- 1) its proximity to the first Mughal city built by Humayun in Delhi, and more importantly 2) its proximity to the famous Auliya tomb so that it could draw upon the religious significance of the buried person and establish an association with Humayun and indirectly to Akbar, its patron.

TIMELINE

• Humayun's tomb  is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi, India built by Akbar.

• Designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, a Persian architect.

• The Tomb stands on a 120-square-metre platform and reaches a height of 47 metres. Built of rubble masonry, the structure is the earliest example of the use of red sandstone and white marble in such great quantities.

• The central walkways, terminate at two gates. It has two double-storey entrances, the West gate which used now, while the South gate, which was used during Mughal era. Aligned at the centre on the eastern wall lies a baradari, literally a pavilion with twelve doors, finally on the northern wall lies a hammam, a bath chamber. 

• On the south-east of Humayun's Tomb there is a fine square tomb of 1590-91, known as the Barber's Tomb.

INTRODUCTION

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• In plan it is an irregular octagon with four long and four short sides.• It is surmounted by a 42.5 m high double dome clad with marble flanked

by decorative pillared kiosks (chhatris). • The middle of each side is deeply recessed by large arched vaults with a

series of smaller ones set into the face. • The interior is a large octagonal chamber with vaulted roof

compartments interconnected by galleries or corridors. This octagonal plan is repeated on the second storey.

Floor plan Section

Line The use of horizontal and vertical lines in the elevation.

Shape The shape of the dome is bulbous. The arches are pointed.

Colour Because of the use of red sandstone and white marble the colour of the entire structure is red and white. Texture The combination of rough

texture of the sandstone and the soft texture of the white marble.

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGNPattern Geometrical patterns at the interior of the central dome. The various jaali patterns because of which the interiors are well lit. they act as latice screens from which the sunshine enters the interiors.

Contrast Humayun's Tomb was built from red sandstone and white marble and thus exudes a stark contrast against the blue sky.

Emphasis The dome of the Humayun's 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.

Balance The structure in all perspectives is a balanced structure having a balanced plan, elevations and a balanced view.

Rhythm / Movement The use of continuous arches which direct the movement of the eye in a straight line.

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES• The most striking visual feature of the tomb is its size and its

garden setting. In terms of both these features, the tomb established an unprecedented example in Indian Islamic architecture.

Four central axial water courses define Char Bagh Garden's quadrilateral layout

at Humayun's Tomb

INSPIRATIONCharbagh or Chahar Bagh (Persian: chahār bāgh, "Four Bāghs") is a Persian-style garden layout. The quadrilateral garden is divided by walkways or flowing water into four smaller parts. In Persian, "Chār" means 'four' and "bāgh" means 'garden'.

• One of the eye-catching features of the tomb is its raised plinth that is the cause of its visibility on the city skyline today. But historically its importance lay in the 56 cells housed within that raised plinth and that were used as the burial place of almost 100 royal descendants and relatives.

Red box showing the plinth

• The built form of the building (especially the dome), though apparently derived from existing Sultanate and Timurid examples, is distinct from either. It attempts to fuse together the formal aspects of both these types. By doing so he established a link as the successor to the glorious Timurid’s of Iran as well as the Islamic empire in India.

Sultanate example Timurid examples

Dome of Humayun’s tomb

• The use of red sandstone with white marble is a reference to the previous architecture of the Delhi Sultanate and places the building as a logical continuation in the same tradition.

Delhi sultanate examples

White marble and red sandstone

• A very well chosen rich red gravel used for the paths.

• A delightful fountain, water flowing in the stone-edged channels and planting rising from below the walkway to above the walkway, as it should.

• A chadar (water sheet) cascading into a pool.

• Humayun's Tomb Garden has a symmetrical plan. Because the word chahar bagh means 'four garden', etymologically, it is tempting to think of this as a classical example. But it now seems unlikely that the old Persian, Timurid and Afgan gardens which inspired this pattern were themselves symmetrical.

AESTHETICS- These elements contribute to the visual treat at

Humayun's tomb.

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 as 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 Delhi with a visual and religious signifier.

THUS INSPIRED…• It inspired several major

architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal.

EXPRESSIONISMHumayun  was the second emperor of the Mughal empire.Humayun’s tomb serve as a focus for memory of the king. Humayun was the son and successor of Bābur, who had founded the Mughal dynasty, He ruled from 1530 to 1540 and again from 1555 to 1556.Humayun was fatally injured by falling down the staircase of his library. When Humayun had died in 1556, Bega Begum was so grieved over her husband's death that she dedicated her life thenceforth to a sole purpose: the construction of the most magnificent mausoleum in the Empire, at a site near the Yamuna River in Delhi for the memorial of the late Emperor.

Thus, the humayun’s tomb is an expression of love of a wife towards her dead husband.It is an expression of the dedication of a wife for her husband.

Mughal emperor Humayun

ORNAMENTATION

Beautiful ceiling with windows and ornaments

Ornamental arches of humayun's tomb

Arab script around the small side door to Humayun's Tomb

Jaali patterns

References – • www.onlypilgrim.com• http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1542660-fascinating-india-sq-f-773-fairm

ont-jaipur-mh-j-a333-lcc-india-2.html• http://www.delhitourism.gov.in/delhitourism/tourist_place/humayun_tomb.jsp• http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_humayuntomb_complex.asp• http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/humayunstomb.html• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/276034/Humayun

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