Tomb of Imam Zamin

Imam Zamin was a direct descendant of Muhammad and his original name was Muhammad Ali.[1] Zamin was thus a Sayyid and belonged to the Chishti sect of Sufism.[1] It is believed that he migrated from Turkestan to Delhi during the reign of Sultan Sikandar Lodi, and subsequently became the imam (chief priest) of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, at the Qutb Minar complex.[1]

According to the inscription on the entrance, the mausoleum was built by Zamin between 1537 and 1538 during the reign of Humayun.[1][2] He died in 1539.[1] Located east of the Alai Darwaza, the tomb was constructed long after the original group of monuments and was the last addition to the Qutb Minar complex.[1][3] Zamin is buried at the centre of the mausoleum.[1]

The tomb is built in the Lodhi architectural style.[1] The mausoleum is square in shape and measures 7.3 metres (24 ft) in both length and breadth.[2] The roof is supported by twelve pillars and is surmounted by a sandstone dome with jalis on all the sides, except the west and south.[2] The dome rises from an octagonal drum and is decorated with a marble panel above the chhajja (overhanging eaves or cover of a roof) along with a double row of crenelles.[3] Marble is extensively used for the interior ornamentation and in the construction of the cenotaph.[3] The western side of the mausoleum contains a marble-wrought mihrab (niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the direction towards which the Muslims pray).[3] The entrance, located at the southern side, is also made of marble.[3]

The entire sandstone structure was originally covered by polished stucco, a portion of which is still extant.[3] The name of Zamin is written in the Naskh script over the doorway of the entrance.[3]

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  The tomb in the foreground, Alai Darwaza and Qutb Minar at the background
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  Plaque of the tomb
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  Interior of the mausoleum, the cenotaph made of marble in ground