Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's Tomb is the mausoleum of the second Mughal emperor, Humayun, in Nizamuddin, New Delhi, completed around 1570. It was the first great garden tomb in India: a domed building of red sandstone and white marble set in a charbagh, a Persian four-part garden divided by water channels.

Humayun's Tomb was commissioned by his widow, Bega Begum, and designed by the Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas. Its raised platform, double dome and garden plan shaped the Mughal tombs that followed, most famously the Taj Mahal, begun some 60 years later. More than a hundred Mughal family members are buried here, and in 1857 the last emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was captured by the British in the tomb. UNESCO listed it in 1993, and a long restoration has brought back the gardens and water channels.

What to see

• The main mausoleum and its double dome
• The charbagh gardens and restored water channels
• The octagonal tomb of Isa Khan, older than Humayun's
• The Barber's Tomb and the blue-domed Nila Gumbad
• Sunder Nursery, the restored Mughal garden next door

What to wear

Humayun's Tomb has no religious dress code, but modest clothes suit the site. The grounds are large, so wear comfortable shoes; shoes may need to come off at the cenotaph chamber. Summer afternoons are hot and exposed, so bring a hat and water; winter mornings are cool. In Delhi you will see women in salwar kameez and sarees and men in kurta pyjama, especially at festivals and weddings.

Local food to try

Nizamuddin Basti, across Mathura Road, is known for halal Mughlai food: seekh kebabs, mutton korma, nihari and biryani from small eateries around the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin, where qawwali is sung on Thursday evenings. Khan Market and Lodhi Colony, a short drive away, have cafes and vegetarian options.

Good to know

• Best from October to March; late afternoon light is lovely
• Open daily, sunrise to sunset
• About ₹35 for Indians and ₹550 for foreigners; book online to skip queues
• Allow one and a half to two hours, more with Sunder Nursery
• About 7 km south-east of Connaught Place, near Hazrat Nizamuddin station
• Photography is allowed; drones are not

Nearby places

India Gate is about 5 km north-west, and the Lotus Temple is about 5 km south. Akshardham Temple is across the Yamuna, about 5 km north-east.