The tomb and mosque of Darya Khan, Mandu, ca. 1500. Mandu was a vast city in India when pre-Moghul Islamic dynasties, like the Khilji Dynasty, ruled north India. These are some of the ancient buildings of old Mandu.

The tomb of Darya Khan, Mandu.

A tomb in Mandu

The court of the great Friday mosque (Masjid-i-Jami) in Mandu.

The prayer hall of the great mosque in Mandu.

The mihrab (showing the direction to Mecca) and the minbar (pulpit for Imam) of the great mosque at Mandu.

Elegant arches of the great mosque at Mandu.

Elegant arches of the great mosque at Mandu.

Muhammad Khilji's tomb in Mandu is a ruin, but one can see the toppled fragments of elegant Islamic calligraphy in piles on the ground.

View to one of the artificial lakes of the Royal Enclave of Mandu with its pavilions and palaces.

Balconies of the Royal Palace at Mandu. Water once filled the pools and the balconies looked out over the lake.

Architecture of the Royal Palace at Mandu.

The Hindola Mahal or 'Swing Palace' at Mandu. It's called that because of its sloping sides.

Detail of the Hindola Mahal.

The Jahaz Mahal or 'Ship Palace' is thus called because it occupies a narrow strip of land between two large artificial lakes. It's also big and long like a ship. The palace was actually the harem for the women of the court of the kings of the Khilji Dynasty of the 15th century.

The great staircase and east facade of the Jahaz Mahal, Mandu.

The upper platform of the Jahaz Mahal, Mandu.

One of the pavilions of the Jahaz Mahal, Mandu, looking towards the eastern lake.

One of the pavilions of the Jahaz Mahal, Mandu.

The swimming pool of the upper platform of the Jahaz Mahal, Mandu. Imagine this filled with cool, fresh water during the hot season. You could dive deep into the water or step down or sit on the steps. As the water evaporated through the dry season, the steps allowed you to get down to the level of the water. In times of need, the pool also served as a reservoir.

Water from the upper platform and roofs of the upper pavilions was sluiced through clay pipes to the upper pool, eventually through these playful channels that directed the water to the pool.

The lower pool of the Jahaz Mahal, Mandu. This pool is even larger than the upper pool.

The Jal Mahal of the Royal Enclave of Mandu, ca. 1490. This small palace was configured as an island palace in the lake, with lakeside pavilions. Arches of an aqueduct can be seen in the background.

A pool outside the Jal Mahal, with the Royal Palace complex of Mandu in the background.