Photograph of Humayan's tomb, Delhi, India, by Felice Beato, 1858-60

The photograph shows a close up view of the tomb of the Emperor Humayan taken from one of its corners. There is a crouching figure underneath the tree on the corner of the tomb which gives a sense of scale to the monument.

The photograph shows a close up view of the tomb of the Emperor Humayan taken from one of its corners. There is a crouching figure underneath the tree on the corner of the tomb which gives a sense of scale to the monument.

The photographer, Felice Beato travelled thorough India after the ‘Mutiny or 1857 uprising’ of the Indian army and took photographs of the sites associated with it. Humayan’s tomb was the scene of the capture by the British of the last Mughal emperor of Delhi, Bahadur Shah II.

The tome was built for the emperor Humayan during the reign of his son Akbar. Although Humanyan’s widow, Bega Begam (Haji Begam) is popularly thought to have commissioned it, some documents suggest that it was Akbar who played the more significant part. The monument has been dated to between 1562 and1571 and was designed by the Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas.

The tomb is the first substantial piece of Mughal architecture in India incorporating symmetry, high arches, a double dome and also the first example of a garden tomb. It is particularly important in the history of architecture as it is the prototype for the Taj Mahal.
The tomb consists of a small platform about 1.5 m in height. Standing on this is a high platform 6.5m high by 99 m wide per side. Each of the sides of the high platform has 17 arches, although this photograph does not show the full 17, and the corners are chamferred with an oblique arch. The central arch on each side has a staircase which leads to the next level, the mausoleum itself. The mausoleum has a square plan (47.54m across) although it is octagonal in shape because of the slightly campherred corners.

The tomb is topped by a white marble dome (the over-development of the print, to compensate perhaps for the over exposure of the negative, has bought out the details on the white marble and made them more prominent than they should be?) This was the first double dome to be built in India, a favourite Persian device whereby the external structure was given an imposing exterior dome but the interior was smaller and kept in proportion to the rest of the internal structure. The dome rises to over 42.67m and is the first full dome in India as all other pervious domes did not trace a full semi-circle. It is surrounded by small pavilions or Chhattris, which were once believed to serve as madrasa (colleges). The Chhattris and the red sandstone and white marble panels of the façade are the primary Indian architectural influences to this largely Persian style monument.

Alongside the emperor Humayan, several other Mughal rulers are buried here.

Beato was in India from January 1858 to February 1860. It is not clear when he was in Delhi during this period.

This photograph shows the magnificent tomb of the emperor Humayan in Delhi. It was built for the emperor during the reign of his son Akbar. The monument dates to between 1562 and 1571 and was designed by the Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas. It is the first substantial piece of Mughal architecture in India incorporating symmetry, high arches and a double dome. It is also the first example of a garden tomb. The tomb is particularly important in the history of Indian architecture as it is the prototype for the Taj Mahal.


The photographer Felice Beato travelled through India recording the aftermath of the so-called ‘Mutiny' or 1857 uprising of the Indian army. Humayan’s tomb was the scene of the capture by the British of the last Mughal emperor of Delhi, Bahadur Shah II.

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