Akbar's Tomb

Akbar's Tomb, Agra Overview

An important architectural masterpiece of the Mughal Empire is Akbar's Tomb. It is a mausoleum that houses the mortal remains of King Akbar. The tomb is believed to have been built between 1605 and 1618. Unlike the other tombs of famous Muslim kings around the world, the Tomb of Akbar is faced towards the rising sun instead of the Mecca. Akbar's Tomb is a wonder to behold and one of the best examples of Mughal architecture. Akbar was a wise and just king, to visit his tomb is to pay homage to the man who was way ahead of his time during an era of stringent and ruthless kings.
The tomb is situated in Sikandra, the outskirts of Agra and spreads over an area of 119 acres. The main tomb is surrounded by a beautiful garden that was designed by Akbar himself, in fact, Akbar was infamous as the king who was fond of gardens. His wife's (Mariam-uz-Zamani Begam) tomb is also located in Sikandra about a kilometre away from Akbar's Tomb.
The main structure of the tomb is built out of sandstone and a portion is made from marble. Following Tartary traditions, that state that one must see-through the construction of one?s tomb themselves, Akbar lived through the construction of his tomb and built a beautiful garden around it. Although his son, Jahangir added a marble storey at the top to the tomb, thereby completing its construction. During the British Raj, Lord Curzon oversaw the repair of the tomb which cost the empire a large amount of money.