5/5 Jatinder S. 3 years ago on Google
History
of
Itimad-Ud-Daulah
Itimad-Ud-Daulah
(Mirza
Ghiyas
Beg)
was
a
Persian
noble.
He
visited
Mughal
court
and
became
a
court
member.
He
soon
became
the
lord
treasurer
of
Akbar.
His
daughter
Nur
Jahan
was
very
passionate
and
had
strong
administrative
ability.
This
helped
her
take
responsibilities
in
the
court
and
gains
the
attention
of
Jehangir.
Soon,
Akbar’s
son
Jehangir
married
Nur
Jahan.
Itimad-Ud-Daulah
rose
to
the
power
of
Chief
Minister
of
Jehangir. In
1622,
Itimad-Ud-Daulah
died
and
his
daughter
planned
to
build
a
marble
mausoleum,
in
the
memory
of
him.
The
main
element
of
the
structure
is
to
resemble
a
jewel
box
in
the
middle
of
a
lush
garden.
Why
is
Itimad-Ud-Daulah
Tomb
Famous?
This
structure
is
the
influence
for
many
marble
structures
that
became
a
part
of
Agra,
including Taj
Mahal,
Tomb
of
Jehangir
and
others.
This
is
one
of
the
finest
examples
and
pioneer
of
tombs
with
an
elegant
garden.
Other
important
elements
of
Itimad-Ud-Daulah,
which
makes
it
famous,
are
:
Intricate
motifs
on
almost
all
the
surfaces
of
the
structure
Geometric
symmetry
is
carried
out
in
almost
all
parts
of
the
structure,
including
the
garden
Chine
khana
decorative
scheme
is
a
façade
look,
which
make
a
vessel
or
bowl
look
like
it
is
filled
with
fruits
or
flowers.
This
decoration
can
be
seen
in
many
parts
of
the
gates
of
Itimad-Ud-Daulah
tomb.
Marble
jali
works
of
Itimad-Ud-Daulah
tombare
considered
more
delicate
than
any
other
structure
of
Agra,
including
Taj
Mahal.
Influence
of
Persian
architecture
on
Islamic
architectural
style
can
be
relished
in
this
monument.
Architectural
Features
of
Itimad-Ud-Daulah
Tomb
The
tomb’s
architecture
is
a
grand
example
of
the
architectural
style
adopted
by
many structures
in
Agra like
Taj
Mahal
and
others. The
main
element
of
Itimad-Ud-Daulah
tomb
structure
is
the
dome,
which
is
similar
to
Persian
architecture.
This
tomb
was
the
first
to
use
pietra
dura
style
decoration
with
semi-precious
stones.
Every
surface
of
the
structure
is
decorated
with
motifs
of
flora,
geometric
structure,
trees
and
others.
Inlaid
stone
works
are
used
to
enhance
the
beauty
of
the
interior
of
the
structure.
This
tomb
is
tagged
as
a
platform
tomb,
which
is
quite
a
popular
style
during
the
reign
of
Jehangir.
This
tomb
was
built
just
outside
the
wall
of
Agra,
made
with
marbles.
The
mausoleum
is
placed
on
a
large
red
sandstone
platform,
which
can
be
accessed
via
four
monumental
gateways.
The
western
gateway
is
a
waterfront
pavilion
and
the
eastern
one
is
the
main
entrance.
The
southern
and
northern
gateway
are
false
gates,
made
for
the
sake
of
maintaining
symmetry. Every
gate
is
made
with
red
sandstone
and
has
geometric
designs
and
chine
khana
designs
made
on
white
marbles.
The
main
tomb
is
square
shaped
and
has
four
turrets,
which
are
crowned
with
small
domed
kiosks
called
Chattris.
These
chattris
rise
from
an
octagonal
base,
one
on
each
corner.
The
arched
entrance
of
the
tomb
joins
with
the
center
of
the
mausoleum
and
is
filled
with
lattice
jali
works.
The
inner
space
of
the
tomb
is
geometrically
divided
into
nine
chambers.
The
central
chamber
is
the
largest
of
all
and
it
holds
the
sarcophagi
of
Itimad-Ud-Daulah
and
Asmat
Begum.
False
cenotaphs
are
placed
on
the
second
floor
of
the
monument.
The
central
chamber
is
accessible
only
via
the
southern
side.
You
can
find
floral
designs
painted
on
the
walls.
Cypress
tree
decorations
can
also
be
found,
showing
the
essence
of
Persian
influence
on
the
structure.
The
lattice
work
originated
from
Gujarat.
It
was
used
in
Mughal
reign
intensively
for
its
beauty
and
for
the
ability
to
mutate
the
natural
light
to
enhance
the
carvings
of
the
building.
Carved
panels
of
calligraphy
designs
are
found
on
both
the
levels.
The
garden
of
the
tomb
represents
the
paradise.
The
garden
is
square
shaped
and
is
divided
into
four
parts
by
water
channels.
The
tomb
is
symmetrically
place
in
the
junction
of
the
four
quadrants.
Each
quadrant
represents
each
sea
of
the
paradise.
There
are
four
rectangular
pools
in
the
garden
with
fountains.
