The Tomb of Itmad ud Daulah is the monument is a highly ornate edifice. This mausoleum is considered to be an imminent precursor of the Taj Mahal as far as the carvings and the inlay work are concerned.
The structure of Itmad ud Daulah is much different from the earlier Mugal tombs built during this period and has a lot of inlay carvings. The importance of this monument in Agra, Uttar pradesh is just next to Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.
This tomb, built in the famed Char Bagh style is not a very large structure. The main chamber of Itmad ud Daulah is richly decorated with mosaics and semi precious stones inlaid in the white marble. The theme of wine flask with snakes as handles is a recurring one on the engraved walls of this chamber. The marble screens of geometric lattice work allows some gentle lighting.
The Tomb of Itmad ud Daulah was built by Nur Jahan, wife of Jahangir, for her father Mirza Ghiyas-ud-din. This tomb in Agra is believed to have inspired the design of Taj Mahal. Ghiyas-ud-din died in 1622 and Nur Jahan built this mausoleum for her father. The tomb of Itmad ud Daulah is built entirely of white marble.
Located on the left bank of river Yamuna, this mausoleum is set in a large garden with water course and walkways. The base of this tomb is about 50 sq. m in area and is one meter high. On each corners of this tomb there are towers which are about 13 meters high.
Itimad Ud Daulah's History:
Itimad-ud-Daulah was a Persian noble who visited Akbar's court. Itimad-ud-Daulah story is also as interesting as his tomb. Itimad-ud-Daulah original name was Mirza Ghiyas-ud-Din or Ghiyas Beg. He was a poor merchant who lived in Persia and travelled to India for business. On the way his wife gave birth to a baby girl who was named as Mehrunnissa. Ghiyas Beg and his wife wanted to abandon the child due to their pathetic condition but the wails of the baby made them take her with them. Ghiyas Beg was lucky to travel in a caravan which took him straight to Akbar's court and he swiftly worked his way up to become his trusted treasurer. Akbar died in 1605 and Jahangir became the Emperor. He made Ghiyas Beg his Chief Minister. His beautiful daughter Mehrunissa married Jahangir and came to be known as Nur Jahan. She became a powerful personality in Jahangir's court with her father's support. Jahangir honoured Ghiyas Beg with the title of Itimad-ud-Daulah which means ‘Pillar of the State’. Itimad-ud-Daulah died in 1622 and Nur Jahan built a beautiful tomb in the memory of her father. Nur Jahan was a great patron of architecture and the influence of Nur Jahan's Persian heritage on the decorative elements of this tomb is very strong.
Architecture of Itimad Ud Daulah:
The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah architecture is one of the finest example of Islamic architecture. It has beautiful arched entrances, octagonal shaped minarets, exquisitely carved floral patterns and intricate marble screen work. The tomb was built entirely of white marble in the center of a garden. This mausoleum architecture is called Tomb in a Garden. The marble tomb stands majestically on a red sandstone platform. It has four monumental gateways but the main entrance is eastern gate. Each gateway is made of red sandstone with geometric designs. The walls have marble latticework with beautiful geometric design carvings. The main tomb has four turrets which are crowned with small dome shaped cenotaphs. There is an octagonal base in each of the four corners from which the cenotaphs rise. The tomb is geometrically divided into nine chambers. The central chamber has the mortal remains of Itimad-ud-Daulah and his wife Asmat Begum. The garden of the tomb is square shaped and is divided into four parts called Charbagh by water channels. There are four rectangular pools in the garden with fountains.
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