In March 2019, the trust announced a planned project to conserve the "baoli" (stepwell) of the serai with the help of funds from the embassy of Germany.
(meta data) TITLE: Mughal baoli suffering from neglect hits road to revamp | Delhi News - Times of India Englishहिन्दीमराठीবাংলা ગુજરાતીಕನ್ನಡதமிழ்తెలుగుമലയാളം|Epaper|GadgetsNowTOITOI # Mughal baoli suffering from neglect hits road to revamp Richi Verma | TNN | Updated: Mar 27, 2019, 6:00 ISTThe conservation work will be handled by Aga Khan trust, which has received support from the German embassy. NEW DELHI: The 16th-century Arab Ki Serai complex near world heritage site Humayun's Tomb was designed to meet the needs of traders. Built in 1560 by Hamida Bano Begum, the chief consort of Emperor Humayun, to accommodate 300 Arabs she had brought back from Mecca. The bazaar had rooms to store and display material and a baoli there provided water. Over the last three centuries, the baoli was neglected and is today in a state of partial collapse. Now, it will be thoroughly conserved as part of a project that will start this month. The work will be handled by Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which has received financial support from the German embassy. As per experts, at the turn of the last century, there were over 100 stepwells in Delhi that played a very important role in storing rainwater. "Gradually, many of these incredible structures were filled up to build upon the valuable land they stood on," said an official. The project will try to replicate the success of conservation at Nizamuddin baoli that AKTC had pulled off a few years ago. That baoli, an ASI protected monument, had collapsed, requiring five years of painstaking conservation work in close consultation with the community of Nizamuddin Basti. The German embassy had earlier supported the conservation of Chaunsath Khambha. German ambassaddor to India Dr Martin Ney said his country has contributed over Rs 10 crore since the 1980s to conserve over 50 monuments in India. Officials say the bazaar and baoli at Arab Ki Serai are in a state of partial collapse with some of the walls being beyond repair. "This baoli comprises a circular well accessed by a steep flight of steps, originally covered by a vaulted roof. The roof has since collapsed as have the walls of the steps, and the circular well is showing severe deterioration. It will take a year to restore the structure," said an official. AKTC also plans to re-grade the earth within the bazaar and adjoining areas of Nizamuddin East, which will help in collecting rainwater. more from times of india citiesDelhi news todayMumbai RainsBangalore RainsDelhi EarthquakeChennai RainsOdisha Elections 2019Delhi PollutionMumbai FloodsAP Elections 2019 ## Trending Topics MS DhoniArun JaitleyKarnataka newsJammu and KashmirKashmir newsModi in BhutanRavindra JadejaNeelum SharmaIBPS RRB Exam AnalysisITR Filing ## LATEST VIDEOS ### Delhi Delhi: Man commits suicide by jumping in front of train at Tagore Garden metro station Massive fire at AIIMS Delhi; virology unit gutted, samples destroyed ### City On cam: DDMA rescues people stuck in Beas River in Kullu On cam: Houses, roads damaged due to heavy rainfall in Chamba Garbage enters residential areas in Mangaluru amid heavy rainfall Coimbatore: Zoo welcomes rosy pelican hatchling after 14-odd years ## More from TOI This is the healthiest way to cook eggsRaksha Bandhan 2019: Traditional Rakshabandhan RecipesWalnut Scrubs: For a smoother, younger-looking skinSAT Test: Why should you apply for it? ## Navbharat Times ## Featured Today in Travel Quick LinksLok Sabha Election Schedule 2019Lok Sabha Election NewsDelhi Capitals teamMI team 2019Rajasthan Royals 2019RCB team 2019Maharashtra Lok Sabha ConstituenciesBJP Candidate ListBJP List 2019 TamilnaduShiv Sena List 2019AP BJP List 2019Mamata BanerjeeBJP List 2019 MaharashtraPriyanka GandhiBJP List 2019 KarnatakaAMMK Candidate List 2019BJP List 2019 WBLok Sabha Elections in Tamil NaduBSP List 2019 High CourtTejashwi YadavArvind KejriwalTejasvi SuryaPawan KalyanArvind KejriwalYogi AdityanathJaya PradaSatta King 2019Srinagar encounterGet the app
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Arab Serai
History.
According to S.A.A. Naqvi, Mughal emperor Humayun's widow Haji Begum built this "serai" in c. 1560/61 to shelter three hundred Arab mullahs whom she was taking with her during her "hajj" to Mecca; however, Y.D. Sharma opines that the word Arab in the title is a misnomer as this building was built for the Persian craftsmen and workers who built the Humayun's Tomb. 
 In January 2017, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture started a project to conserve the "serai". The restoration was  completed in November 2018.