When the medieval carved plaster pattern exudes a modern atmosphere, and the blue dome is called green, there are obviously more restored Sabz Burj than before.

Not only the structural proportions are perfect, even the characteristic carved plaster works on the outside are also different from other contemporary structures, because each side has a unique design. Image courtesy: AKTC

You know that when some suggestions are unsuccessful, there is a building and heritage that loves God. For the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, a committee proposed in 2006 to build a 5.6 billion rupees tunnel to connect the Nizamuddin Bridge to Neeli Gumbad (Lodhi Road) to bring traffic from NH24 into the city. Fortunately, that vulgar plan (conceived by engineers and bureaucrats who had no affinity for the old structure) failed.

If this were allowed to happen, it would mark another bleak chapter in Sabz Burj’s history — often mistakenly called Neeli Chhatri — the abused 16th-century mausoleum is now trapped in a busy traffic ring. Intersection. Because at that time, the final resting place of some unknown medieval celebrities will be destined to be killed forever by the concrete roadblocks of 21st century traffic.

Of course, for most of the 20th century and the first 15 years of the 21st century, more and more vehicles have been making parikramas for cement-clumped graves, the domes of the tombs belatedly covered with a strange purple blue The tile (and those who work in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi) hardly miss it, even if it is a pitiful glimpse. However, after extensive and thoughtful restoration, Sabz Burj successfully jumped into the Instagram era in 2021.

Sabz Burj has always been the best-preserved secret in the entire medieval monument-lined area around Humayun’s Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Image courtesy: AKTC

Traffic used to pass by the enclosed tomb behind the iron fence, but today, almost no vehicles pass by without taking out their mobile phones to catch it, especially at night. Some of them must be wondering how it has been hidden in a conspicuous place for so long. They should do this because Sabz Burj has always been the best preserved secret in the entire medieval monument-lined area around the UNESCO World Heritage Site Humayun’s Tomb.

Under the tireless leadership of Ratish Nanda, the Aga Khan Cultural Trust Fund (AKTC) has been taking the lead in restoring countless medieval buildings in the Nizamuddin area. They have become accustomed to being stunned by the forgotten miracles unearthed by their careful conservation agreement. Each project has its amazing revelation, but what they found in Sabz Burj surpassed other projects because it was completely unexpected.

As far as the monument is concerned, Sabz Burj looks simple: octagonal, compact and well below the tree line. Moreover, at least in people's memory, its plastered walls are plain, and its dome and supporting drum only have traces of colored tiles that were once arranged in geometric patterns, and there are no graves. No wonder that more than a century ago, the British did not expect to transform it into the kotwali (police station) of Nizamuddin, thereby exacerbating its depreciation.

Decades later, kotwali disappeared, and the tomb slowly rotted due to desuetude. But what happened next was worse. A wrongly conceived and inadvertently executed "repair" requires removing the remaining parts of the original tiles, replacing them with different types of modern tiles, and fixing them with cement instead of traditional lime mortar. This causes the dome to become more humid and accelerates the decay of its inner surface.

Fortunately, UNESCO’s regulations on World Heritage Sites ultimately prompted the authorities to take the initiative to eliminate all damage that has been caused, even if it was accidentally caused. This led AKTC to shift its repair technology to this seemingly small building, which is all the work it has done in the Humayun’s Tomb area. Joining the electrical company Havells was a natural process, as it worked with Tatas and InterGlobe earlier.

Coincidentally-it is true that the hand of God cannot be ruled out! -Efforts to deal with the floods led to the discovery of a wonderfully painted surface inside the dome, which looked like a magnificent Persian carpet. Despite centuries of destruction and negligence, the rich reds, ochers and greens painted in complex floral patterns and highlighted in pure gold are still revealed, particularly eye-catching against the dark blue base made of lapis lazuli powder.

It is completely unexpected that the relatively small Sabz Burj would contain such amazing examples of medieval art. Image courtesy: AKTC

Sadly, past looting did leave a mark on the ceiling, otherwise it would definitely remind people of the blue-tiled dome Kok Gumbad and Dorut Tilavat in Shahr-i-Sabz, Uzbekistan, built by Timur’s grandson. Interior 15th century Ulugh Beg. Although the AKTC experts have done their best to clean it up, standing below and looking up, it is still difficult to distinguish the brilliance of the Sabz Burj ceiling.

But thanks to cell phone cameras — and some illustrative panels carefully installed outside the tomb — it is possible to "see" lines and swirls and discern the jewel-colored shimmer that has been darkened by time and carelessness. Soon after the Renaissance masters did the same thing in the Sistine Chapel in Rome, our medieval Indian Michelangelo has been lying on their backs painting this ceiling for years. Only Sabz Burj is a hidden gem. Until now.

Not only the structural proportions are perfect—just like the same octagonal Humayun’s Tomb that appeared later—but even the characteristic carved plaster works on the outside are different from other contemporary buildings because each side has a unique design. It's almost like architects and craftsmen have a great time constructing this building, making it a whiteboard to showcase their creativity, rather than just sticking to the usual rules of symmetry.

The plaster patterns carved in red, black and white are incredibly modern, and somehow they have survived hundreds of years of negligence and faulty restoration. When it comes to decoration, they demonstrate the unusually free flow of medieval design sensitivity. The patterns are complex and exquisite; fortunately, they have now been studied, restored, and reproduced where the original disappeared.

In fact, the pattern of a specific part of this 16th-century building is strikingly similar to the iconic four-petal flower pattern on the Louis Vuitton Monogram logo, and to a lesser extent the Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra The jewellery series have striking similarities, and it is entirely possible to file a case for review of its trademark! They are also strikingly similar to traditional Ajrak block printing in terms of color palette and actual shape.

Coco Chanel linked architecture and fashion with the comment "La mode c'est de l'architecture, c'est une question de ratios". (Fashion is architecture; it is a matter of proportion.) If she saw the design on Sabz Burj, she would certainly agree with the universality and timelessness of the form proved by this medieval pattern. It seems presumptuous to limit them to modern brands or even one era.

Like their Western counterparts, several top Indian fashion designers have turned to architecture for inspiration. The Taj Mahal and other more magnificent buildings may be the usual choices, especially because these monuments have a high buyer recall rate, but it is now clear that Sabz Burj also has a lot of inspiration, despite being packaged in an amazing In a small package. This winter, all design designers—textiles, jewelry, fashion, etc.—should visit this jewelry structure.

Unfortunately, except for the magnificent ceiling, almost nothing on the inner wall survived. But the splendor left by the key parts of the exterior wall shows that the interior niches and arches must also be carefully decorated. There are even faint traces of inscriptions and patterns. Unfortunately, they are too small and fragmented, and the repair staff at AKTC can't even try to partially recreate the parts.

It is completely unexpected that the relatively small Sabz Burj would contain such amazing examples of medieval art. But they all pointed out that it was probably built for someone who was important at the time (considering that it is located in a precious area next to the Dargah of Delhi’s most respected Sufi pie, Nizamuddin Auliya) ), but also a person who builds aesthetics for a person who admires it very much-or someone who has a spouse or benefactor of this quality.

The pattern on a specific part of this 16th century building bears a striking resemblance to the iconic four-petal flower pattern on the Louis Vuitton Monogram logo. Image courtesy: AKTC

Since the tomb no longer exists, and there is all evidence of who is resting there, the name Sabz Burj is a tantalizing clue. Naming buildings with mainly blue domes "sabz" or green seems inconsistent. Unless the name has nothing to do with color, but a place, considering that the structure is estimated to date back to the 16th century, it is likely that after Babur conquered India, it was also associated with Timur (Central Asia).

As mentioned earlier, the dark blue painted interior of the Sabz Burj dome is curiously reminiscent of the same technology of Kok Gumbad and Dorut Tilavat in Uzbekistan. Each wall of a building in Uzbekistan is painted with a different design, such as Sabz Burj, although it is not a combination of red, black and white.

The extensive use of geometric tile patterns in Uzbek architecture and their echoes on Sabz Burj drums, coupled with these similarities, seems too coincidental. More importantly, the word Sabz is also part of the name of the Uzbek town where the old building is located: Shahr-i-Sabz. Can this once gorgeous little tomb be a resting place for the Timur nobles from Sabz, whose family (or himself) wants to keep in touch with their ancestral homes?

One day, another lucky discovery-perhaps even in an unexpected corner of this World Heritage Site-could finally reveal who and why the obviously blue Sabz Burj was built for. For this, we may again have to rely on the kindness of the same divine power that saved this little gem from the slow suffocation of modern roads in 2006. At the same time, everyone can at least be amazed by what has been revealed so far.

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