Imam Zamin’s Tomb

Despite its visual perfection, the Tomb of Imam Zamin is easily overlooked inside the sprawling Qutub Minar complex, as the diminutive structure stands under the shadow of the highly embellished gateway of Alai Darwaza, not to mention the awe-inspiring Minar itself.

Muhammad Ali, as the Imam was originally known as, arrived in Delhi from Turkestan during 1500, when Sultan Sikandar Lodi was in power. He became the Imam of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque inside the Qutub complex. During his tenure, the power in Delhi passed on from Lodis to the Mughals under Babur in 1526. The Imam is believed to have accumulated enough wealth to build his own tomb, where he was buried after his death in 1538.

The tomb is a square structure supported on twelve pillars and is topped by a sandstone cupola. Between the marble pillars are jaalis (lattice screens) made out of sandstone. Above the square roof is an octagonal base on which rests the sandstone dome. Both the roof and the base of the dome are embellished by Kanguras, the typical battlement motif of the Mughals.

Above the entrance to the tomb is a marble plaque with fine calligraphy.

Inside the tomb, the ribbed construction of the ochre-coloured dome can be seen.

The tombstone is in marble and in front of it is the artistically engraved Mihrab (the semi-circular niche in the wall in the direction of Mecca).

Next time you are visiting the Qutub Minar, do take out time to admire the aesthetics and architecture of Imam Zamin’s Tomb.