City guide · दिल्ली Delhi
Delhi
A capital built from seven ancient cities: Humayun's Tomb and New Delhi
Delhi is India's capital territory, where the bazaars and mosques of Old Delhi sit alongside the tree-lined avenues and government buildings of New Delhi. Humayun's Tomb was the first masterpiece of the Mughal garden tomb, built about eighty years before the Taj Mahal.
History
Los orígenes de la ciudad
The site of Delhi's Old Fort (Purana Qila) is thought to match Indraprastha in the epic Mahabharata, though excavations have found no trace of that ancient city. From the early 13th century to the mid-19th century Delhi was the capital first of the Delhi Sultanate and then of the Mughal Empire. In 1556 the Mughal emperor Humayun died after falling down the stairs of his library, and his widow Bega Begum built Humayun's Tomb for him. In 1911 British India moved its capital to Delhi, to the new city of New Delhi built to the south; after independence in 1947, New Delhi remained the capital.
- Early 13th centuryBecame capital of the Delhi Sultanate
- 1556Humayun died
- 1569–1570Humayun's Tomb was built
- 1911New Delhi became the capital of British India
- 1947India became independent, with New Delhi as its capital
Stories
Historias de la ciudad
Historia · Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
The emperor who fell down the library stairs
Soon after taking the throne, Humayun was defeated by Sher Shah and lost his entire empire; only after fifteen years of exile did he retake Delhi with the help of the Safavid dynasty of Persia. On 24 January 1556, descending the stairs of his library, the Sher Mandal, with an armful of books, he heard the call to prayer; as he tried to kneel he lost his footing and fell, dying a few days later. His widow Bega Begum then built this garden tomb for him.
People
Personajes vinculados a Delhi
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Must see
Lugares imprescindibles
Before you go
Normas que debe conocer en Delhi
India: some states ban alcohol completely
- Before visiting Bihar, Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland or Lakshadweep, learn the alcohol rules
- Drinking or carrying alcohol in a dry area
- Drinking in parks and other public places
Drinking or possessing alcohol in a dry state can lead to arrest without bail and 5 to 10 years in prison.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: India travel advice
India: e-cigarettes are banned
- Leave your e-cigarette at home
- Bringing an e-cigarette into India or buying one there
E-cigarettes and related products are banned in India.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: India travel advice
India: no satellite phones or GPS devices without a permit
- Before you leave, check whether your equipment needs a permit
- Carrying a satellite phone or satellite navigation device without a permit (even in transit)
Illegal; you can be fined or arrested and the device confiscated. British tourists have been arrested for this.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: India travel advice