Nizamuddin, Delhi: Interior of Chausath Khamba after conservation by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The tomb...

AKTC

Panoramic view of some of the restored monuments of the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park. From R to L: Jamshed Quli Qu...

AKTC

The conserved main hall of Rahim's Tomb where the cenotaphs of Rahim and his wife, Mah Banu Begum were restore...

AKTC / Narendra Swain

The illuminated white marble dome of Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi, India.

AKDN / Ram Rahman

Sunder Nursery’s Central Axis with the 16th century Sunder Burj in the backdrop, New Delhi, India.

AKTC

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India | Cultural Development

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2 million

Humayun’s Tomb attracts two million visitors each year

The Humayun’s Tomb - Sundar Nursery - Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti Urban Renewal Project, in the heart of Delhi, India, combines a cultural heritage project with socioeconomic initiatives. The overall objective of the project, undertaken by the the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), an agency of the AKDN, is to improve the quality of life for people in the area while creating an important new green space for the people of Delhi and beyond.

AKTC

Humayun’s Tomb, Sunder Nursery and Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti

The Initiative, in the heart of Delhi, combines a cultural heritage project with socio-economic initiatives. The objective of the project is to improve the quality of life for people in the area, while creating an important new green space for the people of Delhi and beyond.


Located in the heart of New Delhi, the Nizamuddin heritage precinct comprises the areas of Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti, Sunder Nursery and the World Heritage Site of Humayun’s Tomb.


Named after the revered saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, who lived here in the early 14th century, the area has witnessed centuries of tomb building as it is considered auspicious to be buried near a saint’s grave.


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Aerial view of Qutb Shahi Heritage Park.

AKDN / Lipi Bhardwaj

Qutb Shahi Royal Tombs

Following the restoration of Humayun's Tomb, AKTC began the restoration of the Qutb Shahi Royal Tombs in Hyderabad, India. The Quli Qutb Shah Heritage Park was built during the reign of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty that ruled the Hyderabad region for 170 years in the 16th and 17th centuries.


The Tombs lie to the northwest of the Golconda Fort, a former hill fort that flourished from the late 15th century until 1591/999 AH. The entire Qutb Shahi dynasty is buried here, with the exception of Sultan Abulhasan Tana Shah, who was exiled to Aurangabad.


The Tombs are spread out over a low plateau, and share a common form: an onion dome atop a square plan tomb, surrounded by an arcade with rich ornamental details, and with corner minarets. The Tombs are built of local granite and plaster.


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Rahim's Tomb illuminated after the completion of conservation works, New Delhi, India. Illumination funded by Fifth Dimension.

AKTC / Narendra Swain

Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan’s Mausoleum

AKTC also completed the conservation of Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan's Mausoleum in Delhi, India, in 2020. Rahim, Commander-in-Chief of the Mughal army, was not only a noble in the court of Emperor Akbar, but also a statesman, courtier, linguist, humanitarian, patron and poet. However, it is the mausoleum he built in AD 1598 for his wife, Mah Banu, that is the grandest of his surviving buildings – inspired by the architectural style of Humayun's Tomb and, in turn, inspiring the Taj Mahal. On his death, Rahim was also buried in this mausoleum.


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