After two long years of restoration, Isa Khan’s tomb, in the same complex as the Humayun’s Tomb has been reopened to the public of Delhi. The reopening of this beautiful tomb coincided with World Heritage Day. A part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Humayun’s Tomb, the dome of Isa Khan’s tomb resembles an inverted flower. Years of negligence had begun to show on the tomb and hence a restoration drive was decided upon. This restoration was funded by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the World Monuments Foundation, along with the Archaeological Survey of India, to mend the monument and bring back its lost glory.
Union Minister for Culture, Chandresh Kumari Katoch opened Isa Khan’s tomb to the public and around two thousand school children will be taken to the tomb for a heritage walk. This tomb is an excellent example of a garden tomb, which was very common in Isa Khan’s era. This is the first time that a non-government body has restored a historical monument in India. Restoration of this historical monument has achieved two things; bringing back the lost grandeur of the tomb, while also successfully passing down information about traditional architecture to the craftsmen who worked on the restoration.
Born in 1453, Isa Khan was an Afghan noble in the court of Sher Shah Suri. Islam Shah Suri, Isa Khan’s son fought the Mughal Empire. Isa Khan died in Delhi in 1548.
