Also known as: The Crowning Palace Built: 1626-1648 Cost: Rs32,000,000 Designed by: Ustad Ahmad (also known as Ustad ‘Isa, Ustad Khan Effendi, Ustad Mohammed, Isa Khan, and Isa Effendi) Type: Holy Place Maximum Height: 239 feet / 73 meters Agra, India
T hen it comes to architectural magnificence, the Taj Mahal has yet to be surpassed. No skyscraper, bridge, cathedral, or other work of man has ever equaled the beauty and elegance of this famed monument. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built at the request of Emperor Shah Jahan (d.1666; formerly Prince Khurram, formerly Shahab-ud-din) to hold the body of his wife Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Banu Begam before she was married.) The building is constructed entirely of white marble, and was once set far away from the main city, though suburban encroachment is becoming more noticeable. It is this combination of factors that helps give the Taj Mahal some of its mystique. There are no nearby structures to interfere with the play of light. At dawn it turns pink, infusing itself with the colors of the rising sun. At sunset its shadows dance in a bath of blood red fire.
At night, especially during a full moon, the building seems to glow from some inner blue flame. And when there's a low fog from the Jamuma (Yamuna) River, the entire affair can appear as a mirage floating on a cloud. In reality, the building sits on a base of marble 186 feet by 186 feet. The corners of this square are cut off, forming an unequal octagon. Its dome is 213 feet high, and is surrounded by four more smaller domes. The minarets are 162 and a half feet tall.
The Taj Mahal is amazing in its design. The most recognizable geometric element is the use of symmetry; and replicating forms is abundant. Seen from the front, the central portico is flanked by half-sized reproductions of itself. These are then flanked by another set of angled porticos. Placing the smaller elements on the outside helps give the illusion that the building is much larger than it actually is, and that the sides are trailing far off into the distance. The technique is called "forced perspective" and has been used in a number of buildings, including the Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World in Florida, USA.
Inside, the entire affair is decorated with designs made from precious gems. Some are flower patterns, others are Islamic script. The tomb itself is protected by a marble screen more than six feet tall. This was originally made of gold, but replaced with marble to dissuade vandals. In keeping with Islamic tradition, the bodies are lying north to south with their faces turned toward Mecca.
As amazing as the Taj Mahal is, it is only one part of a much larger complex. There is also a mosque, a guest house, two formal gardens flanking a reflecting pool, and other buildings behind an immense detached gateway. The gardens illustrate a detailed knowledge of hydrology. Throughout the gardens is a system of gravity-powered fountains. Ordinarily, running a pipe with a number of holes in it would result in each subsequent fountain having a smaller and smaller plume. The designers got around this limitation by building bulbs into the pipes under the fountains. These bulbs fill with water before the fountain can spring, and help provide uniform water pressure along their entire length.
Nine hundred feet from the tomb is the main gateway. It is 100 feet high, 150 feet wide, and made of red sandstone. It's main feature is the massive central arch, but also worth noting are the flanking octagonal towers and the marble copula at the top of the gate. The door is made from eight different metals and studded with a number of knobs. Like the interior of the mausoleum, the gateway features white marble inlaid with precious gems. There are inscriptions from the Koran in black marble which form an optical illusion. They get larger as they get higher, giving the impression that they are a constant size. This is the opposite of the forced perspective trick noted above.
The Taj Mahal's mosque is again made of red sandstone. The floor has been textured so that it appears to be velvet red in the shade. Black marble has been used to designate the locations of 539 prayer carpets. The building's most interesting feature may be a piece of white marble polished so it reflects the image of the Taj Mahal. The mosque has a twin on the other side of the Taj Mahal. It is known as the Rest House, the Guest House, the Naqqar Khana, or sometimes the Jawab ("Answer"). Unlike the mosque, it faces away from Mecca, so it is never used for prayers.
At one time it was believed the Taj Mahal was designed by French silversmith Austin de Bordeaux, or Geronimo Veroneo of Italy. Both of these theories were later proven wrong.
The Taj Mahal contains marble from Rajasthan, jade and crystal from central Asia, turquoise from Tibet, amber from Burma, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, chrysolite from Egypt, and shells, coral, and mother-of-pearl from the Indian Ocean.
June, 2001 - It's renovation time at the Taj Mahal. The Taj Group of Hotels and the Archaeological Survey of India will fund updated landscaping and tourist facilities, architectural repairs, and the construction of a freeway from Delhi to Agra. The project should take 15 months to complete.
4 January, 2002 - Security has been beefed up at the Taj Mahal. The government says it has received information that an extremist group plans to blow up the landmark. The group says it’s not true, and the government is using terrorism as an excuse to crack down on dissidents.
Joseph
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 @ 1:34pm
The Taj Mahal has been the most fantastic buliding people have ever seen. And it allways will be.
KASHIF
Monday, May 29th, 2006 @ 1:27am
Rating: Five stars. The Taj Mahal is by far the most beautiful building in the world. I only hope that I might see it before I die.The Taj Mahal is the greatest magnificent architectural structure that mankind has ever built
Dianna Singh
Sunday, December 25th, 2005 @ 8:53pm
Rating: Five stars. This is a Beautiful structure, created to show that true love is possible. Shah Jahan really loved his wife, and he created a whole monument to her. My only wish is that it stays there forever, leaving it for future generations to read and and see the story of two people in love.
Siomy Alfred, Pohnpei FSM
Wednesday, November 16th, 2005 @ 3:38pm
what can i say about the Taj Mahal, well, it is in fact the most beautiful monument in the world, and the history of this temple was so impressing, i just wished that i m mumtaz mahal. this is one of my goals, to see taj mahal before i die.
Mirchi
Thursday, July 28th, 2005 @ 7:16pm
Rating: Five stars. There are only two kinds of people in the world. One have seen the Taj, one have have not.
Natalie
Monday, May 23rd, 2005 @ 1:45pm
Rating: Five stars. This is an awsome place to Visit!!!! I loved it and so did my husband. We are planning to go back very soon
Mal Walker
Sunday, March 13th, 2005 @ 2:38am
Rating: Five stars. Taj Mahal, always beautiful, always different. Awe inspiring in the sunshine, romantic in the moonlight. A monument to the skill of those that built it and suffered. (only certain ultra-skilled workers suffered the fate mentioned earlier)
Ramakrishna
Friday, November 5th, 2004 @ 2:41am
Rating: Five stars. It is very great experience
ekrem krasniqi
July 13th, 2003
This page is very good and i also have to say that the Taj Mahal is beautiful object and have beautiful architecture too so i wish i could visit it and pray in this object.
Mahmud Hussain
June 4th, 2003
The Taj Mahal is the greatest magnificent architectural structure that mankind has ever built.
Bernardo Ottosen
May 20th, 2003
taj mahal is the greatest thing ever it's a symbol of love from the hindu people
s.a.
April 25th, 2003
I think that mr. Khrisnan and mr Rajasitra are merely upset that a muslim built the Taj. It seems from their tone that they are letting religious bias get in the way of clear thinking. I feel sad for them that they are blinded by their anger.
MUDRA MEHTA
March 27th, 2003
TAJ MAHAL IS SYMBOL OF INDIA. IT REPRESENTS OF INDIA. A GREAT AND BEAUTIFUL GLORY OF ANCIENT TIME OF INDIAN HISTORY.
Sushma Sharma
March 18th, 2003
Taj Mahal is A Temple of Love. It signifies that Shah Jahan loved Mumtaz by his heart. Their true love was one soul in two bodies.
jade destua
February 27th, 2003
The Taj Mahal is a great building, it's signifies the true love a Shah Jehan on her beloved Mumtaz Mahal. Nice story, nice to read, nice to know the historical findings.
Richard Reynolds
February 14th, 2003
The Taj Mahal is by far the most beautiful building in the world. I only hope that I might see it before I die.
jessica
January 27th, 2003
I do not understand why there is a mosque next to this mausoleum as of course shrines etc are absolutely forbidden in islam, The Taj mahal is a spectacular tribute to man's creativity but I find it all rather ironic! did/do muslims actually use this mosque? I'm very confused.
Sukheer Rajasitra
January 19th, 2003
Taj Mahal is not a great advancement. Floating garden of babylonian that is. Taj Mahal is just a piece of building to remmember the emperor's wife.
NEHA & PRIYA
January 9th, 2002
Taj Mahal is the glory of India.It is like a TAJ of India.Taj Mahal is the proof of Indian architecture and their advancement during the period of 1626-1648.It is the prestigeous monument of India.It has a very special attraction.It will be not wrong when we say that Taj Mahal is the outcome of hardwork of 90,000 workers who built it and Mughal Emperors.People from all over India, rather world come to have a look of it at least once in their life.
Scorp17
November 26th, 2002
The Taj is beautiful regardless of the happenings behind it. Most of the wonder of the worlds have a sad story behind them. This should not make you bitter toward the Taj Mahal. It's amazing. It's dream-like. It's beautiful and very hard to comprehend the details that went into the making of it. Perhaps one day you will appreciate the wonder of it.
S. Krishnan
June 23rd, 2001
India is not known by the Taj Mahal. Taj is not the symbol of India. Why should it be when the Emperor who built it cut the hands of the 90,000 workers who built it? Taj is a disgraceful sign to project India's image.
nehal Akram
Sunday, May 16th, 2004 @ 11:51am
The pictures are heavenly.
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New York, United States
Joseph
KASHIF
Five stars.
Mal Walker
ekrem krasniqi
Mahmud Hussain
Bernardo Ottosen
jade destua
jessica