Tomb of Itmad-ul-Daulah
Itmad-ud-Daulah (Pillar of the State) is the mausoleum of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, the father of Empress Noor Jehan. Built between 1622 and 1628, this beautiful structure is located on the left bank of the Yamuna River, near the Yamuna Bridge railway station.
The building complex, along with the main structure, consists of numerous outbuildings and gardens. The walls of the building have been constructed using the finest white marble from Rajasthan and decorated with semi-precious stones including cornelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx, and topaz. The walls have been illustrated with exquisitely carved floral patterns, images of cypress trees, wine bottles, and vases containing bouquets.
Other main architectural features of the Tomb include, arched entrances, octagonal shaped minarets, delicate jali screens of intricately carved white marble, use of kiosk on top of the building, and the use of chhatris (small domed canopies) atop the four minarets.
The architectural importance of this Tomb in the evolution of the Mughal style of architecture is immense, and given the extensive use of white marble and pietra dura inlay it can be regarded as the precursor of the magnificent Taj Mahal.