In the middle of the gardens is the Bara Gumbad ("Big Dome"), it consists of a large rubble-construct dome and is not a tomb[3] but was constructed as a gateway to either the attached three domed masjid (mosque) or a large walled enclosure. Both the Bara Gumbad and the mosque were built in 1494 during the reign of Sikander Lodi, there is also a residence surrounding a central courtyard, where the remains of a water tank can be seen. Opposite the Bara Gumbad is the Shisha Gumbad ("mirror dome") for the glazed tiles used in its construction, which contains graves, whose occupants are not clearly identifiable (either an unknown family of Sikandar Lodi's court or Bahlul Lodi).[4][5]
The Athpula (eight piers) bridge in Lodi gardens
To the north of the garden are the remains of a stream which may once have run as far as the Yamuna River, and by its side is the Tomb of Sikandar Lodi. This structure still has the battlements enclosing it. Visible from Sikander's tomb is the Athpula ("Eight Piered") Bridge, one of the few monuments in Delhi that were built during the reign of Mughal EmperorAkbar,[6] it contains seven arches, amongst which the central one being the largest.
The tomb of Mohammed Shah, the last of the Sayyid dynasty rulers, the earliest of the tombs in the garden, was built in 1444 by Ala-ud-din Alam Shah as a tribute to Mohammed Shah. The tomb is octagonal in shape, with numerous ornamental Hindu-style chhatris around the central dome, numerous arches, verandahs and sloping buttresses. There are turrets at each corner. The main tomb is supported by a 16-sided drum. It is of a flattened type and is surrounded by chhatris, which make it look diminutive compared to its substantially larger base. Several years later, the Tomb of Sikandar Lodi seems to have been copied from this Sayyid tomb.[7]
As there is little architecture dating to the Sayyid and the Lodi periods still standing, Lodi Gardens is an important archaeological site. The tomb of Mohammed Shah is visible from Lodi Road, and is the earliest structure in the gardens. It is a good example of a combination of the Hindu and Islamic styles of architecture. The Hindu features include eight chhatris, each of them capped by a lotus finial with a decorative band around the base; corner ornamental pinnacles (guldastas)and chhajja.[8]
