Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula
Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula
- Built in A.D. 1626 for a distinguished nobleman and Jahangir’s father-in-law, Itmad-ud-Daula at Agra.
- The structure marks a transitional phase with a fresh interpretation of the building art in its most delicate and refined aspect, disregarding size and emphasizing exquisite finish.
- The structure stands in a square enclosure of 540’ side, with red sandstone gateways.
- The tomb structure, built in white marble, stands in the centre of a garden with a formal scheme of lawns, parterres, flagged pathways, tanks and fountains.
- The tomb is a square in plan of only 70’ side, comprising of a central structure with broad octagonal towers in the form of minarets thrown out from each angle.
- A small pavilion or kind of upper storey rises above the roof.
- There are three arched opening in each side and cornices on brackets and a wide eave on the upper portion.
- The interior of the ground storey consists of a series of rooms and passages corresponding to an enclosed verandah which surrounds the central chamber containing the cenotaph.
- The pavilion above is a square compartment with walls of screens of fine marble tracery.
- There is little relief work in the ornamentation, the walls being coloured delicately by inlaid stones. The inlay work was done with a new system called pietra dura in which hard and rare stones such as lapis, onyx, jasper, topaz cornelian and the like were embedded in the marble in graceful foliations, as opposed to the older system of opus sectile, a marble intarsia of various colours.