The tomb of the noble

Isa Khan Niazi Isa Khan Niazi ( ps, عیسی خان نيازي) was an Afghan noble in the courts of Sher Shah Suri and his son Islam Shah Suri, of the Sur dynasty, who fought the Mughal Empire. Biography Isa Khan Niazi was born in 1453 and his last br ...

is located in the

Humayun's Tomb Humayun's tomb ( 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, and designed by Mir ...

complex in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...

, India. The mausoleum, octagonal in shape and built mainly of

red sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) b ...

, was built in 1547–1548 during the reign of

Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri ( ps, شیرشاه سوری) (1472, or 1486 – 22 May 1545), born Farīd Khān ( ps, فرید خان) , was the founder of the Sur Empire in India, with its capital in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar. He standardized the silver coin ...

. The mosque of Isa Khan is located west of the mausoleum, which along with other buildings form the

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

of Humayun's tomb complex.

History

The mausoleum houses the tomb of

, who was a noble at the courts of

and

Islam Shah Suri Islam Shah Suri (reigned: 1545–1554) was the second ruler of the Suri dynasty which ruled the part of India in the mid-16th century. His original name was Jalal Khan and he was the second son of Sher Shah Suri. History On his father's de ...

. It is situated south of the Bu Halima's garden in the

complex. An inscription at the tomb mentions that it was built in . It also says the tomb is an "asylum of paradise" built during the reign of Sher Shah. The mosque, located west of the mausoleum, was built in . Comprehensive restoration work was done through the

Aga Khan Trust for Culture The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a family of institutions created by Aga Khan IV with distinct but complementary mandates to improve the welfare and prospects of people in the developin ...

(AKTC), in collaboration with

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 Alexand ...

(ASI) in 2011-2015.

Architecture

Mausoleum

The tomb was constructed in the Lodhi architectural style. Its octagonal shape, the hallmark of the Lodhi era, stands on a low

plinth A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ...

. Verandahs surround the central chamber. Each side of the chamber consists of three arches with one '' chajja'' (roof) present over each. The mausoleum's architectural style is similar to those of Mubarak Shah,

Muhammad Shah Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad Shah (born Roshan Akhtar; 7 August 1702 – 26 April 1748) was the 13th Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1719 to 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. After being chosen by the ...

, Khan-i-Jahan Tilangani and

Sikander Lodi Sikandar Khan Lodi (died 21 November 1517), born Nizam Khan, was a Pashtun Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate between 1489 and 1517. He became ruler of the Lodi dynasty after the death of his father Bahlul Khan Lodi in July 1489. The second and most ...

. The mausoleum is built mainly with grey

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tec ...

with

used for ornamentation. Stucco plaster envelops the rough masonry. Different coloured tiles have been used on the walls for decoration. The tomb's gateway stands on a podium reached by stairs. The square head doorway of the gate chamber has been built in Hindu architectural style. Inside the mausoleum, the tomb is enclosed by an inner octagonal wall. Other than the southern and western walls, the other walls consist of ''

jali A ''jali'' or jaali (''jālī'', meaning "net") is the term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy, geometry or natural patterns. This form of architectural d ...

s'' (latticed screens), which are recessed. These recesses, in turn, contain four-centred arches. The western wall has the main '' mihrab'' (a semi-circular niche in the wall which indicates the direction of

Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...

, the direction in which Muslims pray). The ''mihrab'' is four centred and bordered by

Quranic verses The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...

. The southern wall includes the main entrance to the building. The medallion located at the centre of the dome is ornamented with Persian floral designs. It also has a Quranic verse. The tomb chamber consists of six tombs—two large and four smaller. Sandstone slabs are used to pave the floor. The cenotaph of Isa Khan Niazi is made of red sandstone and marble.

Mosque

The central dome resembles that of the Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque at

Purana Qila Purana Qila () is one of the oldest forts in Delhi, India. Built by the second Mughal Emperor Humayun and Surid Sultan Sher Shah Suri, it is thought by many to be located on the site of the ancient city of Indraprastha. The fort formed the in ...

. The side domes are raised on pillars and resemble

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings: * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

s. The single prayer chamber is divided into three bays. The mosque's central bay is made of red sandstone, the side-bays of grey stone. Each bay houses a four-arched gateway to the mosque, whose borders are decorated with green and blue tiles. The corners of the central bay are adorned with

pinnacles A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was main ...

. According to the

, the mosque is simpler in comparison to the mausoleum. There are three equal-sized arches on each facade supported by stone pilasters. Blue and green tiles border the arches. A frame made of red stone contains the central arch. These features were inspired by the Moth ki Masjid mosque in Delhi. The side arches are made of grey stone and decorated with stucco. The medallions on the spandrels of these arches contain floral designs inlaid with blue and green tiles, a feature of

Moorish architecture Moorish architecture is a style within Islamic architecture which developed in the western Islamic world, including al-Andalus (on the Iberian peninsula) and what is now Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia (part of the Maghreb). The term "Moorish" com ...

. The mosque stands on a platform. Its interior is plain, and the floor is simply plastered. The lateral domes are built on

pendentives In architecture, a pendentive is a constructional device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or of an elliptical dome over a rectangular room. The pendentives, which are triangular segments of a sphere, taper to point ...

, while the central dome rises from

squinches In architecture, a squinch is a triangular corner that supports the base of a dome. Its visual purpose is to translate a rectangle into an octagon. See also: pendentive. Construction A squinch is typically formed by a masonry arch that spans ...

on a 16-sided drum. Its pavilions, supported by stone pillars, are adorned with blue tiles. The mosque contains three '' mihrabs'' of equal size, carved of stone, containing calligraphy.

Gallery

File:Humayun's Tomb - Mosque near Isa Khan Tomb.jpg, Mosque of Isa Khan File:Entrance of Isa Khan Niyazi's tomb in Delhi 2.jpg, Doorway of the mausoleum Roof of Isa Khan's Tomb.jpg, Pendallion of the central dome File:Humayun's Tomb - Inside Isa Khan Tomb 1.jpg, Cenotaphs inside the central tomb chamber

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
at

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomb of Isa Khan Indo-Islamic architecture Sur Empire Buildings and structures completed in 1548 Mausoleums in Delhi Sandstone buildings in India Tourist attractions in Delhi World Heritage Sites in India Monuments of National Importance in Delhi