Mughal Islamic Architecture: Engineering and workmanship

By Asif Ali Khan

These photographs are of tomb of first Paigah “Shams Ul Umra 1” located in western corner of Paigah Tombs necropolis.

The one who took photographs said, “I was standing at western doorway of tomb looking towards the Masjid. The alignment caught my attention , I moved to the centre of door and aligned my eyesight to the apex of “foiled arch” of gallery, the centre of this arch was precisely at centre of the middle arch of Masjid, I moved my eye sight further up , centre point coincided with centre of middle arch on parapet wall and in turn coincided with central peice of floral design on topmost part of parapet wall”.

Expressing views after entering tomb, he said, “then I went inside the tomb, standing at side of canopy started looking towards the west, the central foiled marble arch of “Chow Khandis” (canopy) was also in exact alignment with the Masjid centre arch that means the grave too is in exact centre”.

Remarkable construction precision.

(Asif Ali Khan)