The monument has an ambience of spaciousness and an imposing presence with its domed and arched red, brown and white coloured structures.

Safdarjung, Nawab of Awadh, was made prime minister of the Mughal Empire (Wazir ul-Mamlak-i-Hindustan) when Ahmed Shah Bahadur ascended the throne in 1748.

This was the first time someone outside the immediate imperial Mughal family built themselves such a tomb and garden complex, reflecting the greatly diminished powers of the emperors by this date.

His dominance and authoritarian approach, however, earned him strong opposition from rival nobles, including Imad-ul-Mulk and Najib-ud-Daulah, who led a faction against him.

After a series of battles, Safdar Jang was forced to leave Delhi in 1753 due to mounting opposition, returning to Awadh where he died in 1754.

The tomb, designed by an Abyssinian architect named Bilal Muhammad Khan, was built at a cost of approximately three lakh rupees and remains a significant example of late Mughal architecture.

[5] To the south of this tomb is the historic site of the battle that was fought in 1386 between Timur of Mangol and Sultan Mahmud Khan of the Tughluq dynasty when the latter was defeated.

[10] The main entry gate to the tomb is two-storied and its façade has very elaborate ornamentation over plastered surfaces and is in ornate purple colour.

There is an inscription in Arabic on the surface and its translation reads "When the hero of plain bravery departs from the transitory, may he become a resident of god’s paradise".

The façade, though built in the style of the Taj Mahal, lacks symmetry as the vertical axis has been given prominence which has resulted in an unbalanced appearance to the tomb.

The four minarets at the four corners are part of the main mausoleum which was totally a different concept in elevation compared to the Taj Mahal where the towers are detached and away from the facade of the tomb.

Earlier also, Indian vice president Hamid Ansari "planned to offer Eid prayers" at the tomb but was cancelled at the "eleventh hour".

[17] In November of the same year new visitor boards were installed in the tomb to "promote the lesser known but striking monuments in the city [referring to Delhi]".