Sultan Ghari

• Sultan e Garhi (Hindi: सुल्तान ग़ारी, Urdu:‫ ) سلطان غاری‬was the first Islamic Mausoleum (tomb) built
in 1231 AD for Prince Nasiru'd-Din Mahmud, eldest son of Iltumish, in the "funerary
landscape of Delhi" in the Nangal Dewat Forest, Near Nangal Dewat Vasant Kunj).
Iltumish was the third Sultan of the Slave Dynasty who ruled in Delhi from 1210 to 1236 AD.
The area where the Ghari (meaning: cave) tomb is situated, was part of medieval Delhi
known as the Slave Dynasty that ruled during the period 1206 CE to 1290 CE, pre-existed as a
Hindu temple from Gurjara-Pratihara era (700 to 1100 CE). This area is now part of the Qutb
complex. The Slave Dynasty was the forerunner under the early Delhi Sultanate that ruled
from 1216 CE to 1516 CE. This dynastic city was followed by creation of other five cities of
Delhi ruled by different dynastic rulers of the Delhi Sultanate, namely, the Khalji dynasty
(1290–1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1413 CE), the Sayyid dynasty (1414–51 CE), and the
Lodi dynasty (1451–1526 CE). The rule of the Mughal Empire then followed and lasted from
1526 CE to 1857 CE.
The crypt or the tomb is implanted in a Ghari (cave), approached by winding steep stairs
made of stone, and supported by pillars and flooring. The cave is covered by an unusual
octagonal roof stone slab. The exterior of the tomb structure built in Delhi sandstone with
marble adornment exhibits a walled area with bastions (towers) on corners, which impart it
the look of a fortress in aesthetic Persian and Oriental architecture. The other tombs inside
the Ghari have not been identified.
SULTAN GHARI
 History

• Iltumish, ruling from Delhi since 1210 AD, invaded eastern India in 1225 AD to capture 
Lakhnauti (now a ruined city in West Bengal called Gaur). The resultant battle ended in
signing of a treaty between Izaz, the then ruler of Eastern India (Bihar and Bengal) and
Iltumish; the former ruler agreeing to pay a surety of 80 lakh tankas (silver currency), 38
elephants, mint and issue of coins in the name of Iltumish and accepting Sultan's suzerainty
over the region. Before returning to Delhi, Iltumish divided the region into Bihar and
Lakhnauti, and installed Alauddin masud jani as his feudatory in Lakhnauti. But Jani's control
was short lived as he was overthrown by Iwaz soon after Iltumish's departure.

. His rule was short lived, eventful and he could consolidate his territory. But after a
rule of 18 months, Nasiru'd-Din Mahmud was killed. Immensely grieved by the
death of his favourite eldest son, Iltumish built a tomb called the Sultan Ghari in
memory of his son, in 1231 AD, close to the Qutb complex.
 ENCLOSURE

• The tomb, raised on a 11 ft-high rubble plinth, sits at the centre of a 77 ft square walled
enclosure. The walls to the east and west are colonnaded, while those to the north and south
are pierced by arched openings.
• The dry masonry walls use dressed quartzite stone of a greyish golden colour. Noteworthy is
the extensive use of white marble, both in the western wing and the tomb chamber. This was
perhaps the earliest use of white marble in a building. Prominent bastions with shallow domes
mark the corners, giving the tomb a distinctive fortress like appearance.
• A projecting doorway embellished with white marble leads to the interior from the eastern
side. The technology employed in the construction is the trabeate style (horizontal beams or
lintels rather than arches), something the indigenous builders were familiar with.
• And arches when used, like that of the enclosure wall, as well as the arch that surmounts the
entrance doorway, show an interesting feature. They are technically not true arches at all, but
corbelled arches, built without a keystone
 BUILDING MATERIAL

• The octagonal grave–chamber with the crypt (tomb) in an underground opening is supported
on four columns raised with two pillars each that support beams, and depict ancient Indian
temple relics both on the columns and on the floor.
• The roof of the chamber is built in thick lime–concrete. The western qibla (prayer wall) which
has the mihrab, is made of marble in exquisite Turkish and Afghan design. The marble mihrab
also has inscriptions from the Quran. The front elevation of this west wall has a marble facade,
dated to Feroze Shah's rule (1351–88). The prayer chamber in front of the qibla depicts a yoni-
patta (the base slab of a Linga.
Floral pattern on marble in mehrab
 HERITAGE PLACE

• The heritage area of Sultan Ghari extends to 25ha, which has been zoned as per the
topographical features to implement appropriate restoration and conservation actions. In order
to restore this monument, which has been declared as a Grade A Monument by the Indian
National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation
evolved a Plan combining restoration works along with creation of a pleasant environmental
ambience to bring out its ancient glory.
• #The entrance gates of the Tomb (pictured) have been built with dolphur sandstones to match
with the architectural setting of the Sultan Ghari tomb, adopting the same technique as used
for building the domes
• # 100 m of restricted area and 200 m of regulated area are demarcated and fenced and four
approach paths/ tracks constructed that lead to the main tomb
• #A water conservation plan (water harvesting) has also been evolved to partially meet the
water requirements for the park around the tomb
 SCALE

• Built by Shams-ud-Din Iltutmish as a tomb for his son in A.D. 1231 near Delhi.
• First example of a tomb building in India.
• The structure is raised on a high plinth with a massive portal on the east.
• The cenotaph is an underground chamber, giving the structure its name.
• The structure is built in the manner of a walled enclosure.
• The enclosure is contained within a massive masonry arcade.
• The exterior is built of grey granite with circular bastions projecting from each corner of the
square.
• Within the enclosure is a courtyard 66' square.
• In the centre of the courtyard is an octagonal platform which forms the roof of the tomb
chamber.
• Two pillared arcades in white marble are built on the eastern and western sides. The western
arcade resolves into a mosque chamber for private prayers.
• The mosque sanctuary has a central domed nave with a foliated arch as mihrab and aisles on
either side. The whole is fronted by a colonnade of marble pillars with bracket capitals. Apart
from the mihrabs, the entire composition is of Hindu extraction
 GEOMETRY

• Sultan Ghari’s Tomb in Delhi will mesmerize you with its architecture. Sultan Ghari’s Tomb
imbibes many architectural principles of Hindu places of worship though it was strictly built in
veneration of a Muslim prince.
• It was constructed of a stone having golden tinge and a plinth 3 meters long.
• The tomb spreads across an area of 23.6 square meters
• The tomb is octagonal in shape.
• It is placed in the center of a closed premise
• The courtyard has walls on the northern and southern side and colonnades on sandstone pillars
on the western and eastern sides
• You will notice domed bastions in the corners of the premise
• The colonnades in the western corner is used as a mosque because there is an area made of
marble and raised on pillars, which is used for prayers.
• The corridors are used as the madrasa- a place for learning.
• You will be impressed by the design of the tomb chamber which operates like a crypt.
 BUILDNG FABRIC

• Grey Granite, Red Sandstone & Marble with Hindu-Jain motif and later-era Islamic inscription

additions