Paradise Gardens of the Great Mughals

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the gardens of the Mughal emperors of northern India dominated all aspects of courtly life. These lush gardens provided the setting for palaces, pavilions, and imposing imperial tombs. Since 2014, World Monuments Fund has collaborated with the Archaeological Survey of India to restore two such gardens—Mehtab Bagh and the Garden of the Tomb of I’timad-ud-Daulah. In this lecture, the second annual Anand Family Lecture, architectural historian George Michell explores these remarkable Mughal Gardens, from the hidden meaning behind their designs to the innovative technology that made them possible.