Tomb of Akbar the Great

The Tomb of Akbar the Great is the an important architectural masterpiece set in 48 Ha (119 acres) of grounds in Sikandra a suburb of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.

The third Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great (1542 – 1605), himself commenced its construction in around 1600, according to Tartary tradition to commence the construction of one's tomb during one's lifetime. Akbar himself planned his own tomb and selected a suitable site for it, after his death, Akbar's son Jahangir completed the construction in 1605-1613.

Overview

It is located at Sikandra, in the suburbs of Agra, on the Mathura road (NH2), 8 km WNW of the city center. The grounds are a precise 690 m square, aligned with the points of the compass, surrounded by walls, and laid out as a classic charbagh. A gatehouse stands at the center of each wall, and broad paved avenues, laid out in Mughal style with central running water channels representing the four rivers of Paradise, lead from these to the tomb at the center of the square. The south gate is the largest, with four white marble chhatri-topped minarets which are similar to (and pre-date) those of the Taj Mahal, and is the normal point of entry to the tomb. The tomb itself is surrounded by a walled enclosure 105 m square. The tomb building is a four-tiered pyramid, surmounted by a marble pavilion containing the false tomb. The true tomb, as in other mausoleums, is in the basement.

Architecture

The buildings are constructed mainly from a deep red sandstone, enriched with features in white marble. Decorated inlaid panels of these materials and a black slate adorn the tomb and the main gatehouse. Panel designs are geometric, floral and calligraphic, and prefigure the more complex and subtle designs later incorporated in Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb.

Timings

Open from Sunrise to Sunset.

Entry Fees

Citizens of India and visitors of SAARC (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan) and BIMSTEC Countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar) - Rs. 5 per head.

Rs. 10/- per head as Toll Tax (Agra Development Authority)

Others: US $ 2 or Indian Rs. 100/- per head (ASI); Rs. 10/- per head as Toll Tax (Agra Development Authority) (Fridays free entry by ADA) Rs. 500/- ticket of ADA is valid for the monuments of Agra Fort, Itimadi-ud-daula, Akbar’s Tomb, Sikandara and Fatehpur Sikri

(Free entry to children up to 15 years)

External links

* [http://www.agraindia.org.uk/sikandra/index.html Tourist Guide]
* [http://www.taj-mahal-india-travel.com/around-taj-mahal/sikandra-travel-tourism.html Tourist Guide]
* [http://www.tajmahaltours.com/agra/sikandra.htm Tourist Guide]
* [http://www.pbase.com/yardbird/india_agra_sikandra Picture Site]