Safdarjung's Tomb, Delhi

Safdarjung's Tomb, located in Jor Bagh, Delhi, is a famous tomb of the Mughal period. It was built in 1754 for Nawab Safdarjung, who was the Prime Minister of the Mughal Empire during the reign of Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur. Built at the end of the Mughal period, this tomb is one of the last major buildings from the waning period of the imperial rule. The tomb complex covers approximately 3.5 hectares (8.6 acres) and is noted for its charbagh-style gardens, symmetrical layout and central dome. Combining Indo-Islamic and later Mughal influences, the monument features red sandstone and marble construction, graceful arches and ornamental stucco work, showcasing a combination of craftsmanship, elegance and royalty. It remains an important cultural and tourist destination in Delhi, attracting history buffs and architecture experts..

Safdarjung’s Tomb exhibits late Mughal architectural style with strong Persian influences, reflecting the diminishing grandeur of imperial design around 1753–1754 under Nawab Shuja‑ud‑Daula in Delhi. Built using red and buff sandstone with marble inlays and decorative plaster, the mausoleum is set on a high raised platform following an enclosed garden tomb tradition inspired by earlier Mughal precedents such as Humayun’s Tomb. The central chamber has a square plan with surrounding rooms in the hasht bihisht (“eight paradises”) concept, crowned by a large bulbous marble dome. Engineering included rubble stone masonry, charbagh water channels, and octagonal towers for both aesthetic rhythm and structural balance, despite noted proportional irregularities.

• Main central tomb mausoleum
• Two‑storeyed monumental gateway
• Mughal charbagh garden divided by water channels
• Pavilions: Jangli Mahal, Moti Mahal, Badshah Pasand
• Mosque and courtyard in entrance complex

• The tomb is one of the last examples of grand Mughal garden tombs in India.
• This mausoleum is spread over an area of about 300 sq km, which is surrounded by gardens and beds.
• The beautiful stone slabs used in this famous mausoleum were brought from the tomb of Abdul Rahim Khankhana.
• This mausoleum is surrounded by gardens from all sides, whose number is about 4, in which very attractive flowers and trees have been planted.
• This mausoleum is one of the tallest mausoleums in Delhi, its height is about nine storeys.
• The mausoleum contains many mysteries, the most interesting of which is the mystery of a large platform with a staircase hidden behind a 5-part mask.

📅 Last update: 2026-01-26 || ✍ Author: Sandhya Chauhan

Meet Sandhya, exploring India with curiosity and wonder. She shares info and tips in simple language, inviting you to join the journey. She is graduated in tourism and writes about the places of India.