Humayun built several structures in close proximity to the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin. Two of them were Nila Gumbad and Sabz Burj, both of which are irregular octagons in plan.
Humayun built several structures in close proximity to the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin. Two of them were Nila Gumbad and Sabz Burj, both of which are irregular octagons in plan.
As with Timur’s palace in the Bagh-i-Shimal in Samarqand, the ceiling of Sabz Burj was decorated with gold and lapis lazuli. Using pure gold along with light blue, white, and red paints to create floral patterns and scrolls on a dark blue lapis lazuli ground resulted in a stunning painted ceiling.
Today, it is among the earliest painted ceilings to survive at any of India’s monuments.
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The central chamber of Sabz Burj is connected through four axial passages to the lofty pishtaqs on the main outer faces, which alternate with smaller half-octagonal arched niches on the narrower faces. As with Humayun’s Tomb, Sabz Burj has a double dome, with the outer dome and tall drum covered with tiles.
The central chamber of Sabz Burj is connected through four axial passages to the lofty pishtaqs on the main outer faces, which alternate with smaller half-octagonal arched niches on the narrower faces. As with Humayun’s Tomb, Sabz Burj has a double dome, with the outer dome and tall drum covered with tiles.
The intricate ornamentation on the outer façade is unique and shows great variety in the application of geometric and interlacing patterns in red, white, and black incised plasterwork, highlighted in several fields with tiles.
The square interior is divided by a cornice into a comparatively low wall zone with shallow niches, and a transition zone of four high arched windows and four squinches defining the corners. Originally, the entire interior wall surface would have been painted, of which only the painted ceiling has survived — making it the most significant feature of Sabz Burj.
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The dome was re-clad with tiles in the 1980s, and since then, Sabz Burj suffered from water seepage, loss of incised plaster patterns and tiles from the drum, as well as severe structural deterioration.
The dome was re-clad with tiles in the 1980s, and since then, Sabz Burj suffered from water seepage, loss of incised plaster patterns and tiles from the drum, as well as severe structural deterioration.
In the 20th century, Sabz Burj was used as a police station. Such misuse, coupled with the use of cement, led to significant deterioration, resulting in the structure’s ruinous condition in the 21st century. Since 2017, an exhaustive conservation effort has been undertaken here, which revealed intricate, complex ornamentation and even the use of gold, indicating the stature of the person buried here.
Master craftsmen – tile makers, masons, stone-carvers – have worked towards restoring the original splendour where evidence of patterns and materials had survived. Removal of 20th-century cement from the dome and walls, and its replacement with lime plaster, will protect the structure from further decay and deterioration.
The significance of the prominently located Sabz Burj is defined by its intricate ornamentation – tilework, medallions, incised plasterwork, stone carving, and the painted ceiling. Unfortunately, the painted interior wall surfaces have all been lost. However, for the remaining features, the conservation effort aimed at restoring the missing elements and, in turn, the cultural significance of this 16th-century mausoleum.
