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NEW DELHI: The Humayun World Heritage Site Museum, set to be inaugurated on July 29, brings to life the 700 years of pluralistic cultural traditions of the ancient city’s historic neighbourhoods– Nizamuddin, named after 13th century Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.

With the help of 3-D illustrations, immersive screens, replicas of Mughal era architecture and rare artefacts, the museum records the life of emperor Humayun and the profound connections which the Mughals shared with the ‘sacred Sufi landscape’ of the city.

The principal gallery titled ‘Where the Emperor Rests’ depicts the architecture of Humayun’s mausoleum and his personality, conveyed through stories of his travels, administration, his readings, studies in astrology and the arts, and his patronage to architecture.

The other gallery ‘Icons of a Sacred Landscape’ has exhibits on the four iconic cultural stalwarts–Nizamuddin Auliya, his disciple poet Amir Khusrau Dehalvi, Akbar’s commander-in-chief Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khana, and prince Dara Shukoh, son of Shah Jahan.

The museum, spread over one lakh square feet is located in a serene corner of Sunder Nursery and will be inaugurated by Union culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the presence of Prince Rahim Aga Khan. Jointly developed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AGTC), the museum is the culmination of 25 years of conservation effort at the 300-acre Humayun’s Tomb. The efforts led to conservation of over 60 historical monuments in the area.

Besides the original finial of Humayun’s tomb, damaged in 2014 due to a severe storm, a rare assortment of coins issued by different Mughal emperors, the marble throne of the last of the Mughals, Bahadur Shah Zafar, over 500 ‘never-seen-before’ artefacts are on display in the galleries. The exhibits are from the collections of the National Museum, ASI and AKTC.

The original golden finial or Kalash, 18 feet high, that once crowned the dome of Humayun’s Tomb, carefully restored by traditional coppersmiths over several years, forms the centrepiece of the museum.Other exhibits include Mughal miniatures, manuscripts, pieces of architecture, stone inscriptions, glasswork, and textiles.

The sunken museum

Inspired by the design of ‘baolis’ (water tanks), the museum is developed below ground level to showcase the relief of the monuments. It is the country’s first ‘sunken’ museum built on the campus of a UNESCO World Heritage Site– the Humayun’s Tomb.