Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, also known as Akbar the Great, was the grandson of Babur who founded the Mughal empire, making him the third emperor of the Mughal dynasty. Only 14 years old when he ascended to the throne, Akbar spent his first couple of decades in power bringing parts of northern and central India into his empire. By the year of his death in 1605, Akbar had doubled the Mughal empire to two million square kilometers. He is widely considered the greatest of all the Mughal emperors.
Construction on his tomb, located just outside of Agra in Sikandra, began before his death in 1605 but was completed under the supervision of his son, Jahangir, around the year 1614. A magnificent gateway covered in floral and geometric designs opens up into a huge, walled garden divided into four sections. A stone pathway running through the gardens leads up the the pyramidal structure of the tomb itself.
Akbar’s tomb represents a significant departure from traditional Mughal architecture and exemplifies Akbar’s art and architectural interests for which he was known.
