Itimad-ud-Daulah

Top choice in Agra


Nicknamed the Baby Taj, the exquisite tomb of Mizra Ghiyas Beg should not be missed. This Persian nobleman was Mumtaz Mahal’s grandfather and Emperor Jehangir’s wazir (chief minister). His daughter, Nur Jahan, who married Jehangir, built the tomb between 1622 and 1628, in a style similar to the tomb she built for Jehangir near Lahore in Pakistan.

It doesn’t have the same awesome beauty as the Taj, but it’s arguably more delicate in appearance thanks to its particularly finely carved marble jalis (lattice screens). This was the first Mughal structure built completely from marble, the first to make extensive use of pietra dura and the first tomb to be built on the banks of the Yamuna, which until then had been a sequence of beautiful pleasure gardens.

You can combine a trip here with Chini-ka-Rauza and Mehtab Bagh, all on the east bank. An autorickshaw covering all three should cost about ₹500 return from the Taj, including waiting time.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Agra attractions

1. Chini-ka-Rauza

0.55 MILES

This Persian-style riverside tomb of Afzal Khan, a poet who served as Shah Jahan’s chief minister, was built between 1628 and 1639. Rarely visited, it is…

2. Kinari Bazaar

1.08 MILES

The narrow streets behind Jama Masjid are a crazy maze of overcrowded lanes bursting with colourful markets. There are a number of different bazaars here,…

3. Mehtab Bagh

1.1 MILES

This park, originally built by Emperor Babur as the last in a series of 11 parks on the Yamuna’s east bank (long before the Taj was conceived), fell into…

4. Agra Fort

1.12 MILES

With the Taj Mahal overshadowing it, one can easily forget that Agra has one of the finest Mughal forts in India. Walking through courtyard after…

5. Khas Mahal

1.12 MILES

This beautiful marble pavillion and pool formed the living quarters of Shah Jahan, while the large attached courtyard housed the court harem.

6. Diwan-i-Am

1.12 MILES

In Agra Fort, the Hall of Public Audiences was where emperor Shah Jahan listened to petitions from ordinary citizens.

7. Jehangir's Palace

1.18 MILES

This huge red-sandstone palace inside Agra Fort, a combination of Indian and Central Asian architectural styles, was most likely built by the Mughal ruler…

8. Jama Masjid

1.21 MILES

This fine mosque, built in the Kinari Bazaar by Shah Jahan’s daughter in 1648 and once connected to Agra Fort, features striking zigzag marble patterning…

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