&Beyond has a tradition of showcasing beautiful and elaborate tours to important sites in history.
Humayun’s Tomb
Explore a selection of Delhi’s finest monuments beginning at Humayun’s Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Perfectly illustrating Mughal architectural influence, this was the first garden tomb to be built in India and the mausoleum is the final resting place of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. Its structure was to further inspire many key architectural advances, culminating in the construction of the famed Taj Mahal nearly a century later. Commissioned by the Emperor’s chief wife, Bega Begum, the tomb is located close to the Old Fort and is the first significant structure known to be built using mostly red sandstone. Legend has it that the Emperor’s wife was so distraught after his death that she dedicated her life to honouring his legacy by building the most impressive mausoleum imaginable, where she would ultimately be laid to rest alongside him.
Humayun’s Tomb Museum
A new site museum in central New Delhi, India developed by the Aga Khan Trust and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has opened within the Humayun’s Tomb-Sunder Nursery complex. The museum is sunken with a sloping pathway leading into the permanent gallery and the underground museum has five galleries. Guests are introduced to more than three thousand years of Delhi’s history and the many cities before the focus is narrowed on the Nizamuddin area and its role in India’s pluralistic history.
The main gallery ‘Where the Emperor Rests’ looks at the fascinating personality of Humayun, and the architecture of his tomb – the first garden tomb in the subcontinent. This gallery is a distillation of the 25+ years of conservation and research. Many of the objects and models on display are being exhibited for the first time. An accompanying book by the historian Ebba Koch is titled ‘The Planetary King’ provides more information.
The museum is more than a fascinating introduction to Humayun’s Tomb, the charbagh, and ancillary tombs and buildings. Eight of the 18 Mughal emperors are buried here. This cleverly designed space is now the link between Humayun’s Tomb, the Nizamuddin dargah, and the Sunder Nursery while at the same time part of a larger urban renewal project.
Qutb Minar
Continue your tour to the Qutb Minar, which was constructed in 1193 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the principal ruler of the Sultanate in Delhi. Conserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the masjid, or mosque, is one of the oldest in northern India. The architecture resembles Iranian styling, but is thought to have been modelled on Afghanistan’s Minaret of Jam.
Lodhi Gardens
Your tour takes you to the tombs and other monuments from the Lodi Dynasty in the elegant Lodhi Gardens. Two tombs, a mosque, and other buildings reside on a landscaped public garden. Originating from different dynasties, the Tomb of Mohammed Shah (1444), and the Tomb of Sikandar Lodi (1517), are important examples of Sultanate architecture.
Mausoleum of Sardarjung
Your tour culminates at the sandstone and marble mausoleum of Sardarjung, built in the 1750s. Known as the last monumental garden tomb of the Mughal period, its lines mimic the grace of Humayun’s Tomb. Inscribed with Arabic calligraphy, the entrance of this colossal mausoleum boldly states: “When the hero of plain bravery departs from the transitory, may he become a resident of god’s paradise”.
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