This tomb, built for the second Mughal emperor, launched a great Mughal architectural legacy — even the Taj, which was built by Humayun’s great-grandson, was inspired by it. Though the Taj’s beauty (and the money spent) eclipsed this magnificent example of a garden tomb, it’s well worth a visit, even if your intention is to visit its progeny. Paid for by Humayun’s “senior” wife, Haji Begum, and designed by the Persian (Iranian) architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, it’s another grand testimony to love.
Set in peaceful surrounds, the tomb features an artful combination of red sandstone and white marble, which plays with the wonderful symmetry and scale used by the makers of the Mughal empire. Though it doesn’t have the fine detailing of the Taj, aspects such as the intricately carved stone trellis windows are lovely. If you’re traveling on to Agra, it is interesting to see how the Mughals’ prolonged stay in India started to influence design elements (the Persian finial that mounts the central marble dome was, for instance, later supplanted by the lotus).
There are a number of outlying tombs, and if you want to do more than simply wander through the beautifully restored gardens and walkways and marvel at the sheer generosity of scale, this is again one place where the services of a guide are worthwhile. Hire one through your hotel or the central tourism office.