A comprehensive presentation on Mughal Architecture present in the Indian Subcontinent in the countries of India & Pakistan. It includes almost all of its architectural features and where it derives from. Includes almost all the important landmarks built by the Mughals themselves. Copyright (C) 2021 - 2022 Ishan Ketan Bhavsar TO BE USED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

1. MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE
An insight to one of the
best ancient architectural
systems in the world.

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF MUGHAL
ARCHITECTURE
•The main characteristic features of Mughal architecture are the
domes, the slender minarets ,large halls, massive vaulted gateways
and delicate ornamentation along with the arches,beams and
balconies.
ARCHES AT
HAYAT BAKSH
BAGH,DELHI.
TYPICAL MUGHAL
DOME AT THE TAJ
MAHAL,AGRA.

3. MUGHAL
STYLED
‘JHAROKH
A’ OR
BALCONY
AT RED
FORT,AGR
A.
(RAJASTHA
NI STYLE)
[INDIAN]
A
MINARE
T AT
TAJ
MAHAL
,AGRA.
(PERSIA
N
STYLE)
• Mughal architecture is a remarkably symmetrical
and decorative mixture of Persian, Turkish, and
Indian architecture.
THE
RED
FORT
AT
DELHI.
(TURKIS
H
STYLE)

4. HUMAYUN’S TOMB
Mughal Architecture incorporates Indian
elements with Persian and Islamic elements.
Some features common to many buildings are:
Large domes, sometimes surrounded by four
smaller domes.
Use of white marble and red sandstone; Use of
delicate ornamentation work.
Monumental buildings surrounded by gardens
on all four sides.
Mosques with large courtyards.
Persian and Arabic calligraphic inscriptions,
including verses from the Quran.
Large gateways leading up to the main building.
HUMAYUN’S TOMB AT DELHI
Humayun’s tomb was built by his widow Haji Begum
in 1565 A.D. in Delhi in 1569A.D., fourteen years
after his death.
The mausoleum stands in the centre of a square
enclosed garden. The garden is divided and sub-
divided into squares, typical of Mughal
gardens. The lofty double storeyed structure is built
on a huge high platform terrace which has a row of
calls with arched openings. The central chamber is
octagonal in shape and contains the tomb. Each
side of the mausoleum has a large arched alcove in
the centre with smaller ones on either side.
It has a high marble double dome in the centre and
pillared kiosks with cupolas surrounding it. Built of
red sandstone with an inlay of black, white and
yellow marble it presents an imposing
picture. Planned by a Persian architect and
constructed by Indian workers, it is a combination of

5. THE AGRA FORT
• Agra Fort was constructed by Akbar starting in
1565 AD and completed it in 1574 A.D.
• Situated on the bank of the river Yamuna, it is a
massive and grand structure. The stones are
linked with iron rings so close that not even a hair
can pass through.
• The entrance to the fort is through two
gateways. The main entrance known as Delhi Gate
was the ceremonial entrance to the fort. The other
smaller gateway is called the Hathi Pol or Elephant
Gate because of the two huge elephants on either
side of the gate and was meant for private use.
•The fort is surrounded by a deep moat.Some of
the important buildings inside the fort are the
Jahangiri Mahal built for Jahangir and his family,
the Moti Masjid, and Meena Bazaars.
•The Jehangiri Mahal is an impressive structure and
has a courtyard surrounded by double-storeyed
halls and rooms. The corbel brackets, doorways
and the chajja above them are profusely carved.
•The elaborate architecture of the brackets seems
to be an imitation of wood work. The planning
and construction of the fort show that Rajput
THE PLACE
WHERE
SHAH
JAHAN
WAS
IMPRISONE
D TILL HIS
DEATH

6. FATEHPUR SIKRI
•Akbar’s greatest architectural achievement was the
construction of Fatehpur Sikri, his capital city near
Agra at a trade and Jain pilgrimage.
•The construction of the walled city was started in 1569
and completed in 1574.
•It contained some of the most beautiful buildings –
both religious and secular which testify to the
Emperor’s aim of achieving social, political and
religious integration.
• The main religious buildings were the huge Jama
Masjid and small tomb of Salim Chisti.
THE
BULAND
DARWAZ
A AND
AN
ANGULAR
VIEW OF
FATEHPU
R SIKRI.
• A magnificent gateway was added to Fatehpur
Sikri in 1571-72 to commemorate his conquest
of Gujarat. Built of red sand stone and marble it
is said to be the “most perfect architectural
achievement in the whole of India".
• Entrance is through a huge arched domed recess.
A broad rectangular strip bordering the archway
has calligraphic inscriptions on it. At corners are
slender turrets. An inscription on the gateway
testifies to Akbar’s religious toleration.

7. THE TAJ MAHAL
• The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white
marble mausoleum on the south bank of
the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra.
• It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal
emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned from 1628 to
1658), to house the tomb of his favourite
wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It also houses the tomb of
Shah Jahan, the builder.
• The tomb is the centerpiece of a 17-hectare (42-
acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a
guest house, and is set in formal gardens
bounded on three sides by a wall.
• Construction of the mausoleum was essentially
completed in 1643 but work continued on other
phases of the project for another 10 years.
• The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been
completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost
estimated at the time to be around
32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be
approximately 52.8 billion rupees.
• The construction project employed some 20,000
artisans under the guidance of a board of
architects led by the court architect to the

8. THE LAHORE FORT
The Lahore Fort is a citadel in the city of Lahore,Punjab,
Pakistan. The fortress is located at the northern end of
walled city Lahore, and spreads over an area greater than
20 hectares.It contains 21 notable monuments, some of
which date to the era of Emperor Akbar. The Lahore Fort is
notable for having been almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th
century,when the Mughal Empire was at the height of its
splendour and opulence.
Though the site of the Lahore Fort has been inhabited for
millennia,the first record of a fortified structure at the site
was in regard to an 11th-century mud-brick fort. The
foundations of the modern Lahore Fort date to 1566
during the reign of Emperor Akbar, who bestowed the fort
with a syncretic architectural style that featured both
Islamic and Hindu motifs.Additions from the Shah Jahan
period are characterized by luxurious marble with inlaid
Persian floral designs,while the fort's grand and iconic
Alamgiri Gate was constructed by the last of the great
Mughal Emperors, Aurangzeb, and faces the renowned
Badshahi Mosque.
In 1981, the fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site for its "outstanding repertoire" of Mughal
monuments dating from the era when the empire was at