''Sabz Burj'' ("Green Dome") is an octagonal tomb situated in

Mathura Road Mathura Road is a road in Delhi and a part of the NH 2 (Delhi-Howrah) Highway. Some of it is part of the Grand Trunk Road passing through Faridabad, and it leads right up to the holy town of Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna. In 1723 p ...

, Nizamuddin complex, beside

Humayun's Tomb Humayun's tomb (Persian language, Persian: ''Maqbara-i Humayun'') is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi, India. The tomb was commissioned by Humayun's first wife and chief consort, Empress Bega Begum under her patronage in 1558, an ...

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

. It has been conserved and restored over the last four years using traditional materials and building-craft techniques favoured by 16th century craftsmen.

History

Some Mughal historians consider the Sabz Burj tomb is constructed to be for Fahim Khan, who died in 1626 A.D. He was an attendant to Abdur Rahim Khan during 4th Mughal emperor

Jahangir Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti. Ear ...

's reign. But others have opined that it was made in 1530–40. The

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...

(ASI) has renovated the structure. In 2018, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) discovered original 16th century paintings on the ceiling. It requested the ASI to remove cement and tiles from the 1986 restoration in order to restore the original

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

that covered it. Complete restoration by the AKTC should be completed by 2020. Now it is ASI protected monument.

Architecture

Its exterior is covered in blue tiles (although ''subz'' means "green") and stone. The structure is crowned with a blue dome and it is popularly known as the Neeli ("Blue") '' chhatri''. The construction was influenced by Central Asian architecture, which consists of alternating wide and narrow sides. Entrances have been built into the wider sides, while the narrower sides are ornamented in a pattern of incised plaster, paint or glazed tile. The tomb does not have any markings pointing to the identity of those buried under it. However, it is of immense significance due to the ceiling on its double dome structure painted in pure gold and lapiz and revealed after conservation efforts began. It is thought to be the earliest surviving painted ceiling for any monument in India.

References

External links

{{coord, 28.59317, 77.24366, format=dms, type:landmark_region:IN, display=title World Heritage Sites in India Indo-Islamic architecture Mughal architecture Sandstone buildings in India Tourist attractions in Delhi Monuments and memorials in Delhi