Humayun's Tomb museum will link modern with Mughal: Aga Khan

New Delhi: Calling the Humayun's Tomb site museum project a "magnificent partnership" between the government and private entities, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV on Tuesday said that after completion it will link the modern city of Delhi to its remarkable Mughal heritage.

Work began on the construction of the country's first sunken museum at the iconic 16th century tomb here, one of the 25 'adarsh' (model) monuments recently designated by the Union Ministry of Culture.

"We are working in a magnificent partnership here like we did with the restoration of this monument earlier...And, the project once completed, will link the modern city of Delhi to its heritage that was a remarkable period in human history," the Aga Khan said.

Set to be completed by 2017, it will be located at the entrance zone of the World Heritage Complex and would serve as a bridge between the three sites of Nizamuddin, Sunder Nursery and the 16th century tomb.

As part of its urban renewal initiative, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is building the museum on behalf of the ASI.

Union Minister of Culture Mahesh Sharma laid its foundation stone today in the presence of the Aga Khan, who is in the capital to receive the Padma Vibhushan tomorrow.

Inspired from the medieval 'baolis' (water tanks) of northern India, the underground site museum, with a built-up area of 9000 sq m, will marry modern 21st century architecture with Mughal-era craftsmanship in its design.

Expected to be completed in 30 months, the project has been pledged a fund of Rs 49 crore from the Tourism Ministry, and will showcase the heritage of the Nizamuddin area over the last seven centuries.

"The museum will include a permanent exhibit, galleries for temporary exhibits, an auditorium for film screenings, a souvenirs shop and a cafe. Live demonstrations of building crafts such as stonework and plaster work, as well as other prominent Mughal crafts, will be a permanent activity," the AKTC said.

"As with any of our initiatives, the idea is cultural restoration and parallel community revival and their participation in the process. We apply the same philosophy to all our projects anywhere in the world. And, we are very proud of this (Humayun's Tomb project) association," AKTC's Director General Luis Monreal, present on the occasion, told PTI.

As during the restoration of the tomb, the entry for visitors to the site will remain unaffected during the course of the work, a senior AKTC official said.