Built by Nur Jahan, the wife of Jehangir, for her father, this 17th century small garden tomb is located on the east bank of the Yamuna River, about 4km upstream from the Taj Mahal. Also described as ‘Baby Taj’ or ‘jewel box’, Itimad-ud-Daulah’s is said to be the first Mughal structure that was entirely built of marble and which made extensive use the pietra dura style of inlay work on marble.
Itimad-ud-daula's Tomb on the bank of River Yamuna was built by the queen Noor Jahan, the queen of Jahangir, for her parents. It is an architectural marvel located in Agra. It is situated at the middle of the well known and scenic Persian Garden. The tomb was superbly designed and elegantly finished in marvelous architectural styles.
This tomb belongs to the father of Nur Jahan, Ghias-ud-Din Beg. He was the Wajir or the Chief Minister of Emperor Jehangir. This white marble tomb was built by Nur Jahan between 1622 and 1628. The tomb may not be as mammoth as the Taj but the inlay designs and carvings are no less than Taj if not more. The delicate marble latticework in the passages allows the light to enter the interiors. A similar tomb was built by Nur Jahan for Jehangir in Lahore. This tomb was the first complete marble Moghul structure.
This tomb is sometimes referred as baby Taj as it was the precursor of the architectural marvel the TajMahal. The tomb is fully laid by yellow marble with black and white marble inlay bringing the glorious days of the Mughal rule. This tomb is placed itself in picturesque surroundings of a beautiful garden. It is a main attraction in Agra.
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/varunshiv/3531666581/in/set-72157618079496…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carltonbrowne/2125032684/in/photostream/
