Tomb of Akbar the Great

Sikandra, Uttar Pradesh, India

at Sikandra, suburb of Agra (8 km distant)

Mathura road (NH2)

India

completed 1614 (creation)

17th century

Architecture and City Planning

mausoleums

funerary structures

Mughal

Indian (South Asian)

Islamic

white and colored marble

red sandstone

stucco

paint

construction (assembling)

entrance gate

The Mughal emperor Akbar (reigned 1556-1605) selected Sikandra as the site for a garden, which was named Bihistabad (Persian, "Abode of Paradise"), and it was here that he was buried. Construction of his tomb may have been in progress when he died

it was completed between 1612 and 1614 by his son, the emperor Jahangir (reigned 1605-1627). The contribution of each has been debated: the form of the building seems characteristic of Akbar’s reign, while some of the decoration is typical of Jahangir. The main tomb or mausoleum, square in plan, is built in five receding storeys. The unusual design is reminiscent of the so-called Panch Mahal at Fatehpur Sikri. The tomb and mausoleum was damaged in the 17th century by rebellious Jats. The complex is set in 48 Ha (119 acres) of grounds.

Saif Haq

Saif Haq

© Saif Haq

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