Set centrally amidst a sprawling garden, the square
building of the tomb of Mariam Zamani is built on a raised platform with
stairs on its northern and southern sides. The two corridors running
from east-west and north-south divide the structure nine sections that
are further subdivided into smaller compartments. Brick and mortar are
used as the primary construction materials and broad arches and vaulted
ceilings grace the building. The cenotaph of Mariam Zomani is set in the
central chamber, directly above the main mortuary chamber. There is a
third grave of the queen too, situated as the white marble cenotaph on a
brick masonry platform in the centre of the terrace.
The upper rooms known as 'duchhatti' are accessible by stairways. The
terrace has four massive cupolas in the corners and four 'chhaparkhats',
one on each side. These cupolas are made of red sandstone. Below the
'chajja', there are beautiful brackets that serve both the ornamental as
well as functional purposes. Their domes are crowned by an inverted
lotus or 'padma kosha'. The rectangular chhaparkhats with eight pillars
and a cluster of brackets resemble the the corner cupolas.
Read about the plan and layout of the
Mariam-Zamani Tomb at Agra.