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Emperor Humayun's Garden Tomb

Wall Mosque

Water Channels

The limestone water channels at Humayun's Garden Tomb are fourteen inches wide, and their depth ranges from four inches in the southwestern corner of the garden to 12 inches between the hammam and the northern fountain.1 The water level in the water channels varies according to the location of the water channel in the garden and what season of the year it happens to be. The water depth is usually only a few inches. Some of the water channels rarely contain moving water.

Humayun's Garden Tomb is divided and defined by its water channels. The garden is first defined as a charbagh garden, by its main west-east and north-south water channels that appear to intersect underneath the tomb.2 These are the water channels that join the tomb with the fountains.

The main water channels divide the garden tomb into four separate charbagh gardens. Each quadrant has its own central point of interest at a central implied or existing water channel intersection. The Grave Platform is on the northwestern quadrant's implied water channel intersection. The Barber's Tomb dominates the southeastern quadrant's central intersection. The octagonal Tree Platform at the northeastern central water channel intersection and is paired diagonally with an octagonal pool at the southwestern central water channel intersection. All of these locations are connected by water channels in a garden scale water channel circuit that alternates between the central points of interest and the square fountain pools in the same way that the octagonal pools are alternated with the rectangular pools in a water channel circuit around Humayun's Tomb's plinth. This water channel and pool circuit combination is repeated on a smaller scale around the tree platform.


1. Elizabet B. Moynihan, Paradise as a Garden (New York: George Braziller, 1979), 112.

2. Catherine B. Asher, Architecture of Mughal India (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), 45.

Illustrations

Water Channels
Water Channels
Water Channels
The two main water channels define the garden as a charbagh and divide the garden into four charbaghs.
Water
Water channels create an eight-part circuit that alternates between minor charbagh intersections and rectangular fountain pools. This alternating circuit of eight is recreated around Humayun's Tomb's plinth with water channels and pools, around the Tree Platform with water channels and pools, in Humayun's Tomb's configuration with chambers and iwans, and on the tomb's roof with dalans and chhatris

Additional Information

A formal bibliography is posted on the outline page.
water The Hammam Hammam Well Ablution Tanks NE Well SE Well Garden Wall Garden Wall Garden Wall Garden Wall Garden Wall Garden Wall Water Channel Home SW Well Humayun's Tomb West Fountain North Fountain East Fountain Chadar Water Channel Garden Wall Garden Wall Garden Wall Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channels Wall Chadar Water Channels Water Channel Tanks and Channels Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Tree Chadar Water Channel Water Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Chadar Pools And Water Channels South Fountain Chadar Water Channel Tree Platform Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Chadar Water Channel Chadar Water Channel Tank and Water Channel Water Channel Water Channel Chadar Water Channel Hammam Chadar Water Channel