Tomb of Akbar the Great. Sikandra, Agra, India. 27.07.13

Tomb of Akbar the Great

Just a few kilometers away from the great Taj Mahal sits the tomb of one of the greatest leaders in all of India. The Tomb of Akbar the Great was built in 1605-1613. During this time, settlers were building crude wooden huts in Jamestown, Virginia. The Mu

ghals gave us some of the most beautiful artistry and architecture. If you love architecture, this is one you will not want to miss.

this is just the inlay detail from the Entrance building

The level of detail in the inlay is stunning and is a great example of Mughal architecture. The grounds are large, approximately 119 acres, however not really accessible to the public. You hear and occasionally see Peacocks roaming around in the grass, or sitting in trees, along with antelope grazing. After walking through the south gate with its four minarets, there is a large expanse of sandstone, which at one time, harbored a water system that was so prevalent in the Mugal architecture of the time. It must have been very impressive to see all of the water features working at a time when there were no man made machinery.

The evidence is still there, although the structures are long gone, of some type of railings or lighting systems (torches) that lined the large sandstone walkway. It is fun to come up with solutions and speculate what it must have looked like.

South entrance architecture and inlay

sculpted and colorfully painted ceilings on the mausoleum

the tomb of Akbar the Great in the lower level

stone lattice work is quite impressive

Akbar's cenotaph in the mausoleum. His tomb lies directly beneath

Circumferential Gallery around the cenotaph