Mausoleum of Rabi'a Daurani, Aurangabad - 1816

Pen-and-ink and water-colour drawing of the mausoleum of Rabi'a Daurani at Aurangabad by Colin MacKenzie (1754-1821) in 1816. Inscribed on the front in ink is: 'Mausoleum of Rabeea Dooranny, wife of the Emperor Aurunzebe at Aurangabad.'

The Bibi-ka-Maqbara or Queen's Tomb (1678) is the most famous building in Aurangabad. After the death of his wife Rabia Durani in 1657, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (reigned 1658-1707) ordered his son 'Azam Shah to build a mausoleum for her. It was designed by the architect 'Ata Aula as an imitation on a reduced scale of the Taj Mahal at Agra. Lack of funds meant that it fell short of the original plan. The mausoleum is situated in the centre of an enclosed garden surrounded by a crenellated wall with bastions. It is a square building with a pointed arch to each front covered by a huge marble dome with four corner minarets.

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