Atgah Khan’s tomb restored in Nizamuddin Basti after decade of work

Three white-marble graves lie beneath the restored dome of Atgah Khan’s tomb in the crowded lanes of Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti.

The 460-year-old tomb, built by Mughal noble Mirza Aziz Koka for his father, underwent a decade-long conservation programme by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Conservators repaired its red sandstone walls, marble and tile inlay, painted plasterwork and portions of Quranic calligraphy. The crypt was excluded from the work.

Conservators removed later cement repairs layer by layer to uncover surviving decoration beneath. Fragments of the original red, blue and green frescoes helped guide the recreation of missing patterns, with old pigments tested in a laboratory. The restored colours used palak leaves for green, neel plant for blue and gudhal flowers for red.

Craftworkers formed the dome’s ornament by cutting away plaster rather than adding it. Some blackened patches of the original frescoes remain untouched alongside the restored floral designs. The tomb also holds the graves of Atgah Khan’s wife and son.