Itimad-ud-Daulah's Tomb

Built between 1622 and 1628 by Nur Jahan for her father Mirza Ghiyas Beg, who held the title Itimad-ud-Daulah, this tomb marks the point where Mughal architecture shifted from red sandstone to white marble, and where pietra dura, coloured stone inlaid into marble, was first used across whole surfaces. The result is a small square building with corner towers, its walls covered in inlaid cypresses, wine flasks, vases and geometric patterns, and its interior painted as well as inlaid. It is often called the Baby Taj because it anticipates so much of what the Taj Mahal did on a larger scale a generation later.

What you actually see

• The inlaid surfaces - pietra dura patterns of cypress, flask and vase.
• The marble facing - the first Mughal building clad entirely in white marble.
• The painted interior - painted and inlaid decoration in the chambers.
• The riverside garden - the charbagh setting on the Yamuna bank.

When to go

October to March; Agra summers are severe. Morning light suits the inlay work, and the site is far quieter than the Taj Mahal at any hour.

Honest expectations

The building is small and a visit is short. The Yamuna beside it is heavily polluted and often low. Entry is charged separately from other Agra monuments.

Nearby

Mehtab Bagh lies south on the same bank; the Taj Mahal is across the river.