Sunken museum at Humayun's Tomb incredible addition to cultural landscape of Delhi Culture Minister

     New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) Country's first sunken museum at the site of Humayun's Tomb complex here that displays over 500 "never-before-seen artefacts" was inaugurated on Monday evening by Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat who said it will be an "incredible addition" to Delhi's cultural landscape.
     The museum, whose layout is inspired by the medieval 'baolis', or traditional water tanks, showcases the legacy of Mughal emperor Humayun including lesser-known facets of his life, and the heritage of the Nizamuddin area over the last seven centuries.
     Shekhawat inaugurated the new museum in the presence of Prince Rahim Aga Khan.
     It will open for visitors from July 30, a senior official of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said on Sunday.
     Humayun's Tomb complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
     The museum, developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in partnership with the ASI, is the culmination of 25 years of conservation efforts in the 300-acre site that encompasses Humayun's Tomb, Sunder Nursery and the Nizamuddin Basti.
     The inauguration of this first-of-its-kind museum has coincided with the ongoing 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) in New Delhi, Shekhawat said in his address at the inauguration ceremony held in the lawns of the iconic site.
     The tomb complex with many old moments dotting the premises, is a shining example of how development and conservation of heritage "need to go hand in hand" to meet governance objectives and help boost tourism, he said.
     "The public-private-partnership mode for construction of this museum could be expanded to other sites in India and elsewhere in the world... Visitors can see rich original artefacts and also get a glimpse of the traditional craftsmanship. I invite all to visit the museum and experience the rich cultural heritage of our country," the minister said.
     He said this "beautiful museum" will be an "incredible addition to the cultural landscape of Delhi", and added that "our cultural heritage is one of our greatest assets".
     The museum displays over 500 never-before-seen artefacts, including Mughal miniatures, manuscripts, significant architectural elements, coins, contemporary art, astrolabes, celestial spheres, stone inscriptions, glassware, and textiles, the AKTC said.
     A highlight is an immersive gallery featuring a 270-degree screen, offering virtual tours of the World Heritage Site's monuments and gardens. The gallery also includes an animated feature on the evolution of Humayun's Tomb over 500 years.
     Using cutting-edge technology, the museum also meticulously recreates the timeline of the construction of the 14th-century shrine through 3-D videos complemented with detailed wooden scale models. The second Mughal emperor's remarkable life is retold through paintings, scrolls and artefacts.
     "The museum serves as a link, not only reuniting Humayun's Tomb and Sunder Nursery, but also bridging the gap between history and the present day. Museums and historic landmarks preserve and reveal the story of humanity," Prince Rahim Aga Khan said.
     Several delegates of the WHC session, besides many scholars, architects and diplomats, and several craftsemen who worked on the project, among others, also attended the event.
     Ebba Koch, a leading authority on Mughal architecture, on of the consultants for the museum project, also attended the event.
     "This museum is a 'new monument' for the Mughals and a great gift to Delhi and to India," Koch told PTI on the sidelines of the ceremony.
     Old artefacts on display include 'farmans', an astrolabe, a celestial sphere of the 1840s era and a warrior's helmet from approximately the 16th or the 17th century.
     The finial of the Mughal monument (Humayun's Tomb) which was knocked off in a 2014 storm is its "centre-piece".
     Work began on the construction of the country's first sunken museum at the iconic 16th-century tomb here in April 2015. The project was earlier planned to be inaugurated in 2017.
     AKTC's Director General Luis Monreal, in his address, said initially, "we were thinking how to establish the links between the two sides, Humayun's Tomb on one side and and the Sunder Nursery on the other".
     There was a "possibility to build a tunnel" but it was decided to build a museum, he said.
     Monreal said "This museum will become a useful prototype that will be replicated at other sites and elsewhere in the world."

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)