DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#0500
4136
SARACENIC ARCHITECTURE.
Book IX.
curious persistence in the use of this arrangement, though it must be
confessecl it is one of the most beautiful ever invented.
At first sight the upper part of the building looks somewhat too
massive for the substructure ; but its destination as a tomb renders this
appropriate, and was apparently intended by tlie architect to produce
that solemnity which the closed walls impart to the ordinary forms of
sepulchres.
The tomb of ITumayun Shali, the first of the Moguls who was
buried in India, still stands tolerably entire arnong the ruins of Old
Helhi, of which indeed it forms the principal and most striking object.
That of Akbar, at Secundra, near Delhi, is, like all his buildings and
doings, evceptional, and nnlike those of any of his race, but still of
great magnificence. Tlie latter tomb is pvramidal in external form.' The
outer or lower terrace is 320 ft. square by 30 in heiglit, and its archi-
tecture is bold and massive. On tliis terrace stands another far more
ornate, measuring 186 ft. on eacli side, and 14 ft. 9 in. in height. A
third ancl a fourt-h of similar design, and respect-ively 15 ft. 2 in. and
14 ft. 6 in. high, stand on this, all these being of red sandstone. Mithin
and above the last is a white marble enclosure, 157 ft. each way, or
externally just ha-lf the lengtli of the lowest terrac.e; the outer wall of this
is entirely composed of marble trellis-work of tlie most beautiful patterns.
Inside it is surrounded by a colonnade of tlie same material; in the
centre of this cloister, on a raised platform, is tlie tombstone of the
founder, a splendid piece of t-he most beautiful arabesque tracery.
This however is not t-he true burial-place; but the mortal remains of
this great king repose under a far plainer tombstone in a vaulted
cliamber in the basement 35 ft-. square, exactly under the simulated
tomb t-ha-t adorns the summit of the mausoleum.
Tlie typical example of the tombs of tliis race is tlie celebrated
Taje Mehal—the tomb whicli Shali Jehan erected at Agra, to contain
the remains of liis favourite wife, Moomtaza Melial, meaning to erect a
more splendid mausoleum for liimself ou the opposite side of the river.
But. t-his was not carried into effect, and he rests in t-his same sepulclire
beside his wife, she occupjdng t-he centre, a place of honour due to
hor prececlence in the race of death.
The plan and section (woodcuts No. 349 and No. 350) explain sufit-
cient-ly tlie general arrangement and structural peculiarit-ies of the
tomb or principal building of the group. This is, however, only a
part of the whole design, and cannot be judged of by it-self without its
accompaniments. Tlie enclosure, including the gardens and outer
court, is a parallelogram of 1860 ft-. by more tlian 1000.1 The outer
court, surrounded by arc-adcs and adorned by 4 gateways, is an oblong,
occupying in length the whole breadth of the enclosure by about 450 ft.
in depth. The principal gateway, measuring 110 ft. by 140, lea-ds
from the court to the gardens, which, wit-h their marble canals and
fountains and cypress-trees, are alrnost as beautiful as t-lie tomb itself.
1 1 hc scction has been engraved to a small scale of rather more than 100 ft. to 1 in. in
order t-o bring it iuto thc pago.
SARACENIC ARCHITECTURE.
Book IX.
curious persistence in the use of this arrangement, though it must be
confessecl it is one of the most beautiful ever invented.
At first sight the upper part of the building looks somewhat too
massive for the substructure ; but its destination as a tomb renders this
appropriate, and was apparently intended by tlie architect to produce
that solemnity which the closed walls impart to the ordinary forms of
sepulchres.
The tomb of ITumayun Shali, the first of the Moguls who was
buried in India, still stands tolerably entire arnong the ruins of Old
Helhi, of which indeed it forms the principal and most striking object.
That of Akbar, at Secundra, near Delhi, is, like all his buildings and
doings, evceptional, and nnlike those of any of his race, but still of
great magnificence. Tlie latter tomb is pvramidal in external form.' The
outer or lower terrace is 320 ft. square by 30 in heiglit, and its archi-
tecture is bold and massive. On tliis terrace stands another far more
ornate, measuring 186 ft. on eacli side, and 14 ft. 9 in. in height. A
third ancl a fourt-h of similar design, and respect-ively 15 ft. 2 in. and
14 ft. 6 in. high, stand on this, all these being of red sandstone. Mithin
and above the last is a white marble enclosure, 157 ft. each way, or
externally just ha-lf the lengtli of the lowest terrac.e; the outer wall of this
is entirely composed of marble trellis-work of tlie most beautiful patterns.
Inside it is surrounded by a colonnade of tlie same material; in the
centre of this cloister, on a raised platform, is tlie tombstone of the
founder, a splendid piece of t-he most beautiful arabesque tracery.
This however is not t-he true burial-place; but the mortal remains of
this great king repose under a far plainer tombstone in a vaulted
cliamber in the basement 35 ft-. square, exactly under the simulated
tomb t-ha-t adorns the summit of the mausoleum.
Tlie typical example of the tombs of tliis race is tlie celebrated
Taje Mehal—the tomb whicli Shali Jehan erected at Agra, to contain
the remains of liis favourite wife, Moomtaza Melial, meaning to erect a
more splendid mausoleum for liimself ou the opposite side of the river.
But. t-his was not carried into effect, and he rests in t-his same sepulclire
beside his wife, she occupjdng t-he centre, a place of honour due to
hor prececlence in the race of death.
The plan and section (woodcuts No. 349 and No. 350) explain sufit-
cient-ly tlie general arrangement and structural peculiarit-ies of the
tomb or principal building of the group. This is, however, only a
part of the whole design, and cannot be judged of by it-self without its
accompaniments. Tlie enclosure, including the gardens and outer
court, is a parallelogram of 1860 ft-. by more tlian 1000.1 The outer
court, surrounded by arc-adcs and adorned by 4 gateways, is an oblong,
occupying in length the whole breadth of the enclosure by about 450 ft.
in depth. The principal gateway, measuring 110 ft. by 140, lea-ds
from the court to the gardens, which, wit-h their marble canals and
fountains and cypress-trees, are alrnost as beautiful as t-lie tomb itself.
1 1 hc scction has been engraved to a small scale of rather more than 100 ft. to 1 in. in
order t-o bring it iuto thc pago.