Sightseeing in Delhi: Humayan’s Tomb, The Red Fort and Jama Masjid (with a Special Guest Star!)

Over the weekend I did lots of sightseeing in Delhi, but more exciting than any of the individual sights was the fact that my father had come to visit! He decided to take a detour on his way to his business trip in Germany and dropped into Delhi for a few days. I was thrilled to have my dad here, to show him around the city and to have a little, much-needed taste of home. (I use the word taste quite literally, as he brought me a box of chocolate chip cookies made by Eliza.)

            Throughout the few days we saw many of Delhi’s old monuments. On Friday we went to Humayan’s Tomb, the burial site of the second Mughal emperor. The grounds were expansive but the interior of the mausoleum was surprisingly plain. The most remarkable feature was the domed roof. The other interesting sight in the complex was the Barber’s Tomb: legend has it that Humayan loved his barber so much that he was buried on the same complex.

            Sunday, Dad and I toured the sights of Old Delhi, which is farther North in the city than I had been previously. We saw the Red Fort, which was constructed by Shah Jahan (who also built the obscure monument known as the Taj Mahal). While the fort was a great example of Mughal architecture, and quite impressive in its sheer size, we made the mistake of going during midday, which in Delhi means dealing with temperatures around 100 degrees.

            Finally, we attempted to tour the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in Asia. Unfortunately, we arrived JUST as noon prayers were commencing, and could not enter the mosque. However, we got some photos of the outside, and a recording of the call to prayer.

My Dad and Me upon his arrival

More photos to come!