The first principal Gallery, ‘Where the Emperor Rests’, showcases the architecture of Humayun’s Mausoleum and the personality of Emperor Humayun – conveyed through stories of his travels, his deep interest in astrology and astronomy, his love of books and arts, his patronage to architecture. Over a decade of research for the museum has led us to an understanding of Humayun’s contributions, now published in the voluminous book, The Planetary King authored by Prof. Ebba Koch.

The greater Nizamuddin area is recognised as the earliest Mughal ‘city’ with Humayun building his citadel of Dinpanah and his mother’s mausoleum in close proximity to Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s Dargah, and Akbar building several prominent buildings here, including his father’s mausoleum. This sacred precinct is also where each of the 18 Mughal Emperors made several visits and pilgrimage, gave grants to the Dargah, and constructed monumental buildings. Eight Mughal emperors also lie buried here in the Dargah ensemble or within Humayun’s Mausoleum, which is often referred to as the ‘Dormitory of the Mughals’. The deep connection that the Mughals had with this sacred Sufi landscape of Nizamuddin is relayed here through miniature paintings, films, architectural exhibits, and stone antiquities.