Nizzamudin, Delhi

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Located just outside the Nizamuddin complex, this splendid mausoleum contains the tomb of Ataga Khan. He was a high official in Emperor Akbar's court who was murdered in 1562. Akbar commissioned the construction of his beautiful tomb, which was built from red stand stone adorned with exquisite calligraphic designs on white marble.

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Considered one of the most important religious sites in Delhi, this mausoleum belongs to a famous 13th/14th century Sufi Moslem saint, Nizamuddin Auliya. It is located in a small complex that contains a mosque (Jama'at Khana Masjid) and other mausoleums, all within the narrow alleys of the poorer Nizamuddin neighbourhood of Delhi, which was named after the saint himself. A large number of locals, Moslems and non-Moslems alike, visit the site on a daily basis perhaps to be blessed or to ask for their prayers to be answered. The mausoleum itself is a white domed structure with a very colourful interior, built in 1562 over the tomb of the saint. Among the many tombs in the complex are those of the poet Amir Khusrow and the daughter of Shah Jahan, Jahan Ara Begum. The red coloured mosque, Jama'at Khana Masjid, is the oldest structure in the complex, built in 1325 by Khizr Khan, son of Sultan Alauddin Khalji. The Nizamuddin complex is a great place to see the locals in piety.

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Although in a terrible state of preservation, the Mausoleum of Rahim is as magnificent as any in Delhi. The large domed, square structure was built in the 17th century for Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, who was known simply as Rahim, and was a minister and a poet under Mughal Emperor Akbar. His grand mausoleum is located in the Nizamuddin area just south of Humayun's Tomb.

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Located just east of Humayun's tomb (but outside the complex), Nila Gumbad is yet another domed mausoleum in the Nizamuddin area. It is thought to date from 1626 and to contain the tomb of a certain Fahim Khan. The mausoleum's name, Nila Gumbad, translates to Blue Dome, which refers to the blue tiles covering its dome.

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Thought to have been built in the 16th century, this majestic domed mausoleum is of an unknown person. Strange for such an opulent monument not to have kept an inscription or a memory of whom it was intended for. Likely, much of the octagonal structure was once covered in colourful tiles, however, only the blue tiles of the dome have survived along with small fragments below it. Sabz Burj (means Green Tower, despite its blue dome) is unfortunately inaccessible as it lies in the centre of a roundabout, not too far from Humayun's Tomb.

Built in 1783 but expanded later, Gurdwara Dam Dama Sahib is a Sikh place of worship. It is said to occupy the site of an important meeting that occurred in 1707 between the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, and the future Emperor Bahadur Shah, then Prince Muazzam. The latter requested the help of Gobind Singh in a battle of succession. This gurdwara (Sikh temple) is adjacent to the Humayun Tomb complex.

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Balli maarhah ke mahalle ki wo pechida daleeloN ki see wo galiYan
saamne Taal ke nuKkad pe baTeroN ke posheede
guD-guDaati hui paaN pi peekoN meiN wo daad wo waH-waH
chand darwaaze par laTke huye boshida se kuch TaaT ke parde
ek baKri ke mamiyaane ki awaaZ
aur dhoondhlaayi huyi shaam ke be-noor andhere
aise deewaroN se mooH joD kar chalte haiN yahaN
chuDi-waala unke katri ke badi bee jaise
apNi boojHti hui aaNkhoN se darwaaze TaTole
aisee be-noor andheri see gali qaasim se
ek quran-e-sukhan ka safa khulta hai
asad allah Khan 'GHalib' ka patha milta hai.

Pay a visit to the King of Urdu poetry. Others would have put this tip in the "Off the beaten path" section, but not me.

Criss-crossing the bylanes of Ballimaran, you land at the doorstep of the man who was adept at giving words to feelings. Ghalib's home now is a musuem, still retaining the charm which has been partly lost due to commercialisation of the city all around.

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Opposite to Nizammudin on the Mathura road and visible from your car is the tomb of Abdul Rahim Khan, the prime minister of Emperor Akbar. Some of materials from this tomb were used in constructing the Safdarjang Tomb and since then it is said to have lost much of its glory. Abdul Rahim Khan (AD 1556-1627) was the First Prime Minister of Emperor Akbar and was known as “Khan-I –Khanan”. He won many battles for Emperor Akbar and Emperor Jehangir and served as the Governor of many provinces. The tomb was built in 1627 AD and originally had a square garden encircling it, which no longer exists.