Restoration work on a lesser known tomb in the heart of the city has led to the discovery of the country’s oldest “sunken garden”, a serendipity that will put the history of the Mughal gardens in a new perspective.
Restorers at the Isa Khan’s tomb in the precincts of the Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site have discovered that the Isa Khan’s tomb stood within a hitherto unknown sunken garden that predates the famed gardens that the Mughals built and popularised. Also uncovered at site are pieces of underlying archaeology.
And with this discovery, the country now has a new chapter added to the history of the Mughal gardens.
“It is an important discovery as the Isa Khan’s Tomb garden predates the Humanyun’s Tomb garden by two decades. It is also very significant as Isa Khan’s garden tomb can now be considered the earliest example of a sunken garden in India – attached to a tomb – a concept later developed at Akbar’s Tomb and at the Taj Mahal,” said Ratish Nanda, Project Director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, that has been undertaking an urban renewal project in the Humanyun’s Tomb Nizamuddin Basti area.
via The Hindu : Arts / History & Culture : Country’s oldest sunken garden discovered.
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