They won and ruled India, but considered it more important and valuable than the country they came from. Well, that how the mughals stayed and belonged to India. During the entire mughal rule from Babar to Bahadur Shah, the country witnessed both a golden period and a downfall. The traditions and cultures of the mughals might be witnessed today in some customs and believes, but there is one thing that they left behind to carry on their legacy, the monuments and architecture. Some of India’s well-known monuments and forts were constructed by the mughals. So, let’s began from knowing the famous mughal architecture of the that city from which the emperors ruled the nation, Delhi.
Red Fort
Earlier home to the Emperors, Red Fort today holds a very important place in Indian history. Every year on Indian Independence Day, the Prime Minister hosts the national tricolor flag here, a scene which is witnessed by all Indians. Built by Ustad Ahmed Lahari, Red Fort is around 400 years old and was known as ‘Qila-e-Mubarak’ back then. Also, very few are aware that originally the fort was built with white limestone but then later British painted it red to keep it off from damage. Many mughal emperors like Shah Jahan and Jahagir ruled the Mughal Empire from the courts of Red Fort. Constructed in an octagonal shape, the inside of the forts includes Diwan-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khaas, Rang Mahal, Moti Masjid and Mumtaz Mahal to name a few. The main entrance of the place is known as Lahori gate. The world inside the fort tells it own tale of mughal rule.
Humayun’s Tomb
The tomb of Humayun is a truly magnificent Mughal architecture in itself. The second mughal emperor of India, Humayun ruled the country for overall 11 years before dying at the age of 47. The decision of a marvelous architecture as a resting place of the emperor was made by his wife Hamida Banu Begum, and the tomb was designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyath who was a Persian architect. While the major tomb here is of Humyaun, there are also more than 100 tombs of mughals around that. The first level of the place is known as the “Dormitory of Mughals” and it has several graves of mughal families and officials. A landmark, Hyumayun’s Tomb was constructed in the 15th century and is said to be the first building with a double-domed elevation along with eight side chambers depicting the Islamic believes of afterlife.
Jama Masjid
The most popular, prominent and largest mosque of India, Jama Masjid is one of the many architectures that was built by the mughal emperor Shah Jahan during his rule. The construction of the mosque involved approximately 5000 workers and amount of 1 million rupees in those times. During every Muslim festival especially on Eid, thousands of people gather on the courtyard of mosque to offer Namaz. The mosque is made up of combination of red sandstones and white marbles, and has four towers, two high minarets of 40m, three domes and three gates. Jama Masjid is almost 400 years old, constructed around mid 1600s. A standing sign of great mughal architectures, the mosque is one of the most visited places in Delhi.
