The Mughal Empire

Hasht Behisht (8 paradises; ground plan of buildings)

A Safavid era palace in Isfahan built in 1669

Humayun's Tomb

Commissioned by Akbar. It was the first charbagh garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent in Delhi, India and also the first structure to use red sandstone at such scale. Set a precedent for subsequent Mughal architecture. Other than the main tomb, several smaller monuments line the pathway leading up to it. It is seen as a clear departure from the fairly modest mausoleum of the first Mughal Emperor, Babur.

Panch Mahal

Five-story palace in Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, India built by Akbar. Extraordinary structure, entirely columnar, consisting of five stories of decreasing size disposed a symmetrically upon a ground floor. These screens provided cover to queens and princess on the top terraces. Sculpted after the pattern of a Buddhist Temple, Panch Mahal was basically a pleasure palace of emperor Akbar. He primarily used it for relaxation and entertainment.

Shahjahanabad (Abode of Shah Jahan)

Founded by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1639 and remained the capital of the Mughals until the end of the Mughal dynasty. Once filled with mansions of nobles and members of the royal court, along with elegant mosques and gardens. Serves as the symbolic heart of metropolitan Delhi.

Serpentine Brackets

Intricate brackets at the tomb of Salim Chisti

Jami Masjid

Located in Fatehpur Sikri, houses the tomb of Salim Chisti

Chahar/char bagh (4 part garden)

Persian-style garden layout. One of the hallmarks of Islamic gardens that became a powerful metaphor for the organization and domestication of the landscape. In India, the Char Bagh concept in imperial mausoleums is seen in Humayun's Tomb in Delhi. The tradition of paradise garden originated among the Mughals

Double-Shelled Dome

Provided height to the monuments without the structure losing its aesthetic value. Built of two layers.

Iwan

Rectangular hall or space with one end entirely open. Overall forms and characteristics vary greatly in terms of scale, material, or decoration. More commonly associated with Islamic architecture. The form was invented much earlier in Mesopotamia.

Salim Chisti

Sufi saint of the Chishti Order during the Mughal Empire.

Jali (screen)

Term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with floral geometric patterns constructed through the use of calligraphy and geometry. Mughals employed the technique of inlay, using marble and semi-precious stones.

Pietra dura

Term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly-polished colored stones to create images. Stonework is glued stone-by-stone to a substrate. Grooves in the undersides of the stones enable the pieces to interlock like a jigsaw puzzle. .

Fatehpur Sikri

The city was founded in 1569 by the Mughal emperor Akbar, and served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 to 1585. Akbar named the city, Fatehabad, with Fateh, a word of Arabic origin in Persian, meaning "victorious." it was later called Fatehpur Sikri. Akbar took a great interest in the building of Fatehpur Sikri and most likely also dictated its architectural style. The easy availability of sandstone in the neighbouring areas of Fatehpur Sikri, also meant that all the buildings here were made of the red stone. The monuments at Fatehpur Sikri thus reflect the genius of Akbar in assimilating diverse regional architectural influences.

Akbar

The third and greatest ruler of the Mughal Dynasty in India. Gradually enlarged the Mughal Empire to include nearly all of the Indian Subcontinent north of the Godavari river. His power and influence, however, extended over the entire country because of Mughal military, political, cultural, and economic dominance. He established a centralized system of administration throughout his empire and adopted a policy of conciliating conquered rulers through marriage and diplomacy. In order to preserve peace and order in a religiously and culturally diverse empire, he adopted policies that won him the support of his non-Muslim subjects.

Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden)

This is a charbagh complex located in Agra, North India situated north of the Taj Mahal complex. The garden complex, square in shape is perfectly aligned with the Taj Mahal on the opposite bank.

Taj Mahal

White marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles.