Private Old And New Delhi Tour

Humayun’s tomb (Maqbara e Humayun) is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Commissioned by Humayun’s son, Akbar the Great in 1569-70, designed by a Persian architect chosen by emperor’s widow Haji begum, Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, it was the first garden-tomb in the history of the Indian subcontinent. It’s located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, India.

The tallest brick minaret in the world, Qutab Minar, is a soaring 73 m-high tower. It was built in 1193 by Qutub-ud-din Aibak after he defeated Delhi’s last Hindu kingdom. It has been declared a UNESCO’s world heritage site.

Lotus Temple is built like to resemble a lotus flower. It is the last of the seven Major Bahai’s temples present around the world. Built-in 1986, the structure is made up of pure white marble. The Furiburz Sabha, the architect, selected the lotus to denote harmony among Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Islam. Surrounding the blooming petals are nine pools of water. They light up in natural light. The whole scenario is even more spectacular at dawn when it’s floodlit.

Jama Masjid is easily the largest mosque in India. It has a courtyard that can hold 25,000 devotees. The construction began in 1650, commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. More than 5,000 workers labored for six years to complete the mosque. Every Friday, the emperor and his retinue traveled from the fort to the mosque and attend the congressional prayers. There are three gateways and the highest and largest on the east was reserved exclusively for the emperor.

At the center of New Delhi stands the 42 m high India Gate.  It is an “Arc-de-Triomphe” kind of archway in the middle of crossroads. It pays homage to the 70,000 Indian soldiers killed in the World War I. India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and its construction completed in 1931. The memorial bear names of more than 13,516 Indian and British soldiers killed the Afghan war of 1919, in the Northwestern Frontier.

The Red Fort was the residence of the Mughal emperor for about 200 years, until 1857. It was built in 1648 by the fifth Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan. It’s an innovative architectural style, including the garden design, and it influenced buildings to build later and gardens in Delhi. It has massive walls of red sandstones enclosing it. Adjacent is the older Salimgarh Fort. Red fort is located in the center of Delhi, housing numerous museums. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.