The Empress NÅ«r JahÄn built I'timÄd-Ud-Daulah's Tomb, sometimes called the "Baby TÄj", for her father, MirzÄ GhiyÄs Beg, the Chief Minister of the Emperor JahÄngÄ«r. Located on the left bank of the Yamuna river, the mausoleum is set in a large cruciform garden, criss-crossed by water courses and walkways. The are of the mausoleum itself is about 23 m2 (250 sq ft), and is built on a base that is about 50 m2 (540 sq ft) and about one meter high. On each corner are hexagonal towers, about thirteen meters tall. Small in comparison to many other Mughal-era tombs, it is sometimes described as a jewel box. Its garden layout and use of white marble, pietra dura, inlay designs and latticework presage many elements of the TÄj Mahal.
The walls are white marble from Rajasthan encrusted with semi-precious stone decorations – cornelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx, and topaz in images of cypress trees and wine bottles, or more elaborate decorations like cut fruit or vases containing bouquets. Light penetrates to the interior through delicate jÄlÄ« screens of intricately carved white marble.© Copyright 2014 meriyatra.in - All Rights Reserved
