Shish Gumbad, Lodhi Garden, New Delhi, India
The Shish Gumbad (Glazed Dome) is believed to have been constructed between 1489 and 1517. The architecture is a blend of Hindu and Islamic architecture. It has vivid blue tiles that adorn its facade. These glossy blue tiles are rare in medieval structures and must have been challenging to produce, making them expensive at the time. It is conjectured that the entire top surface of the tomb was once covered with such tiles. Shish Gumbad houses tombs of an unknown family that may have been part of the Lodhi family and a part of Sikander Lodi's court. However, some historians believe that the tomb is that of Bahlul Lodi, who was the chief of the Afghan Lodi tribe and the founder and Sultan of the Lodi dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. How the history of actual human beings, Sultans, and Generals intertwines with the stories these structures hide, of mysteries indecipherable, of lores forgotten, of stories untold!
