The inhabitants of Delhi call this district, which corresponds to the town founded in the 17C by Emperor Shah Jahan, “Old Delhi” (Purani Dilli), despite the fact that many other districts in the capital are actually older than this one. The town was ..

Built in 1565, Humayun’s tomb lies in the middle of a huge Mughal garden ( chahar bagh ) enclosed by walls, resembling a blissful abode in the paradise of Allah. The monument is immediately striking for its perfect proportions and the stark contrast ..

The Qutb Minar, a 73m-high minaret-tower dominating the other buildings and monuments in the park, stands on the site of the first Muslim Delhi, which was founded in the 13C by General Qutb ud-Din Aibak. Admire the Quwwat ul-Islam mosque , the oldes..

Built in 1638 by the Emperor Shah Jahan, the “forbidden city” of Old Delhi , encircled by red sandstone walls, housed the emperor’s government and palaces. The fort is accessed by the Lahore monumental gate. The two most emblematic buildings are the..

Started in 1644 and finished in 1658, the “Friday Mosque” (the main day of prayer for Muslims), stands on a hill facing the Red Fort . The mosque’s main entrance, the eastern gate, is reached by crossing the open-air market of Meena Bazaar and wendi..

Following the wishes of King George V, the tenth city of Delhi was designed from 1918 according to plans drawn up by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Providing a strong contrast with Old Delhi and its crowded narrow streets, this new district, which symbolised the..

Statues and jewellery from the ancient civilisations of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro (2500-1500 BC), terracotta from the Maurya and Shunga periods (3C and 2C BC), as well as from the Gupta dynasty (4C-6C AD), and stunning miniatures from the Kangra Schoo..

Perched on a hill in the park, Purana Qila (the “Old Fort”), is popular on Sundays with locals who come here for family picnics or to hire a pedalo on the lake at the foot of the walls. This hill is said to be the site of the legendary Indraprashta m..

The tastefully arranged Craft Museum offers an interesting insight into Indian crafts and rural arts and traditions. The museum is laid out to resemble a village with a succession of houses built around courtyards. The museum’s exhibits include magni..

The actual sanctuary, situated at the end of the main avenue of Akshardham temple, is built in the form of a cross and surmounted by domes. The columned avant-corps is decorated with a mass of sculpted figures (over 20 000!) where the elephant takes ..

The promenade along Lodi Road runs through a succession of well-maintained parks (the flowerbeds are a delight to behold in February and March) which mark the southern section of the residential district built by Lutyens. As you stroll along the prom..

Often described as the last masterpiece of Mughal art, this monument is the tomb of the prime minister ( wazir ) of the emperors who had the rank of Safdar Jang . Dating from 1754, the tomb has all the characteristics of Indo-Muslim mausoleums built..

Escape the noise of the city in this romantic English-style garden and visit some fine examples of Indo-Islamic funerary art. The sultans of the Sayyid and Lodi dynasties rest in these gardens: note the tomb of Sultan Mohammed Shah (mid 15C), with it..

To get to the tomb of Hazrat Nizam ud-Din Auliya, a master of Indian Sufism (1238-1325), you’ll have to make your way along a narrow, busy narrow street in the heart of the picturesque Muslim district, which is lined with restaurants and flower-petal..

Residential middle class and wealthy areas alternate with fashionable districts and old villages in this part of the city, which seems to have developed without any regard for town planning. However, a few pleasant districts have survived in the area..

Chandni Chowk, the main thoroughfare of Old Delhi , is surrounded by a confusing network of narrow alleyways and katra (covered passages), crowded with stalls laid out on the floor. This picturesque bazaar, with its constant activity that is so ty..

It was under pressure from a Sikh chief who occupied the Red Fort in 1783 that Emperor Shah Alam authorised the construction of Sikh temples. Built in the late 18C, the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is the largest of these and is striking for its intense de..

Raisina Hill is crowned by the palace of the Head of State, the official residence of the President of the Republic since Indian independence. The building dominates the other symbols of Indian democracy: the Secretariat (housing the ministries) and ..

Until the end of the 1980s, Hauz Khas Village was a village with buffalos and charpoy (rope beds), some of which still exist today, dotted among the residential districts of the city. The village was then discovered by designers, who made it a fash..

This typical picture-postcard image of rural India is in sharp contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city centre. Goats, cows and buffalos graze calmly in the alleyways of this district, which is dominated by the ruins of Begumpur mosque, the last..