Taj Mahal Mausoleum: An Eternal Love Story. What is the Taj Mahal and in what city is it located? Raj waved

Address: India, Agra
Start of construction: 1632
Completion of construction: 1653
Architect: Ustad Ahmad Lahauri
Height: 72 m
Coordinates: 27°10"30.5"N 78°02"31.4"E

Content:

How many names have they called the famous mausoleum Taj Mahal? The famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote about the Taj Mahal that this monument is “a tear sparkling on the face of eternity.”

Bird's eye view of the Taj Mahal

In 1983, the mausoleum was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and was recognized as the best example of Hindu-Muslim architecture.

Taj Mahal - a legend of love frozen in marble

Facts and legends are closely intertwined in the history of the white marble masterpiece, but most historians agree that the tomb was built in the 1630s. about the order of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his untimely deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal. The lovers got married when the beautiful Mumtaz Mahal was 19 years old. Shah Jahan loved only her and did not notice other women. The emperor's wife became his closest adviser, participated in the conduct of state affairs and accompanied her husband on all military campaigns. The couple had 13 children, and during the birth of the 14th child, Mumtaz Mahal died. The emperor sat for a long time at his wife’s deathbed, tirelessly mourning her. Heartbroken, Shah Jahan turned gray, declared two years of mourning in the country and decided to build a mausoleum in Agra, the capital of the Mughal Empire, on the banks of the Jamna River, which has no equal on Earth, has never been and never will be. Construction continued for 22 long years. More than 20,000 people took part in it, among them builders from all over the empire, craftsmen from Venice, Persia, Central Asia and the Arab East. According to legend, the ruler was so amazed by the grandeur and perfection of the tomb that he ordered the hands of the chief architect, Ustad-Isa, to be cut off so that he could not repeat his masterpiece.

View of the Taj Mahal from the garden

Some scientists believe that the mausoleum was designed by Shah Jahan himself, who was passionate about architecture. He gave his creation a name consonant with the name of his deceased wife - Taj Mahal (“Crown of the Palace”). On the other bank, the ruler was going to build the same mausoleum for himself, but from black marble, and the two buildings were to be connected by an openwork bridge made of gray marble, spanning the river. But the emperor's plans did not come true. A fierce struggle for power soon unfolded, during which Aurangzeb, the son of Shah Jahan, overthrew his father from the throne and imprisoned him in the Red Fort for 9 years, after which the prisoner died and was buried next to his wife in the Taj Mahal.

Architecture of the Taj Mahal

Today the white marble monument great love, the “gem of Indian architecture” is one of the most important landmarks in India. In 2007, the Taj Mahal was included in the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World, compiled after a survey of more than 100 million votes. The majestic five-domed mausoleum with 4 minarets in the corners rises to a 74-meter height on a white marble platform and, reflected in the motionless surfaces of an artificial reservoir, seems to float above the earth like a fairy-tale mirage.

Taj Mahal from the opposite bank of the Jamna River

Its walls, made of polished marble, shine white on a bright sunny day, emit a lilac-pink glow at sunset, and silver on a moonlit night. This marble was transported for construction 300 km from Rajasthan. Precious stones and gems are used in the inlay of the walls; The decor with quotes from the Koran is made of black marble. Malachite was brought from Russia, carnelian - from Baghdad, turquoise - from Tibet, sapphires and rubies - from Siam, lapis lazuli - from Ceylon, peridot - from the banks of the Nile. Symmetry is impeccably observed in the architecture of the ensemble. It is violated only by the tomb of Shah Jahan, which was built after his death, much later than the tomb of Mumtuz-Mazal, located strictly in the middle of the mausoleum.

Symbols hidden in the layout of the mausoleum

The Taj Mahal has many symbols. For example, in the park framing the architectural ensemble, cypress trees grow - the personification of sadness in Islam, and on the entrance gate are carved verses (revelations) from the Koran, addressed to believers and ending with the words “Enter My Paradise!” Thus, one can understand Shah Jahan's plan - he built a paradise where his beloved would live. Modern researchers claim that, maddened by grief, the emperor decided to get closer to divine knowledge by creating paradise on Earth. At times Shah Jahan said that he was building a throne for Allah himself.

Fragment of the facade of the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is in danger of extinction

Currently, the creations of medieval architects are falling into decay. Cracks have appeared on the walls of the Taj Mahal, and it is losing its shining whiteness due to air pollution, and the minarets have deviated from the vertical axis by 3 mm and may collapse in the future. The Jumna River is shallowing, and this can lead to changes in the soil structure and subsidence of the foundation. And yet, despite all the threats of destruction, the magnificent Taj Mahal has existed for more than 350 years, attracting millions of guests from all over the world with its romantic legend and architectural perfection.

Rabindranath Tagore described the Taj Mahal as “a tear on the cheek of immortality,” Rudyard Kipling as “the personification of all that is immaculate,” and its creator, Emperor Shah Jahan, said that “the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.” Every year, tourists twice the population of Agra pass through the gates of the city to see, at least once in their lives, the building rightly called by many the most beautiful in the world. Few people leave disappointed.

This is truly a monument, beautiful in all seasons. There are those who love the sight of the Taj Mahal on Sharad Purnima, the first full moon after the monsoons, on a cloudless evening in October when the light is clearest and most romantic. Others like to view it at the height of the heaviest rains, when the marble becomes translucent and its reflection in the canals of the gardens surrounding the mausoleum is washed out in the rippling water. But it makes a mesmerizing impression at any time of the year and at any moment of the day. At dawn, its color changes from milky to silver and pink, and at sunset it looks as if made of gold. Look at it also in the midday light, when it is blindingly white.

Dawn over the Taj Mahal

Story

Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan

The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to his 14th child in 1631. Mumtaz's death broke the emperor's heart. They say he turned gray overnight. Construction of the Taj Mahal began the following year. It is believed that the main building was built in 8 years, but the entire complex was completed only in 1653. Shortly before the completion of construction, Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in the Agra fort, where he spent the remaining days looking at his creation through the window of the dungeon. After his death in 1666, Shah Jahan was buried here next to Mumtaz.

In total, about 20,000 people from India and Central Asia were employed in construction. Specialists were brought from Europe to make beautiful carved marble panels and decorate them in the Pietra Dura style (inlay using thousands of semi-precious stones).

In 1983, the Taj Mahal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and today looks as immaculate as it did after construction, although large-scale restoration was carried out at the beginning of the 20th century. In 2002, as the building gradually lost its color due to the heavy pollution of the city, it was refreshed using an ancient recipe for a facial mask used by Indian women to maintain beautiful skin. This mask is called multani mitti - a mixture of earth, cereal grains, milk and lemon. Now, within a few hundred meters around the building, only environmentally friendly vehicles are allowed.

Panorama of the Taj Mahal

Architecture

Persian calligraphy

It is not known exactly who the architect of the Taj Mahal was, but the credit for its creation is often attributed to an Indian architect of Persian origin named Ustad Ahmad Lahori. Construction began in 1630. The best masons, artisans, sculptors and calligraphers were invited from Persia, the Ottoman Empire and European countries. The complex, located on the southwestern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, consists of five main buildings: the darwaza, or main gate; bageecha, or garden; masjid, or mosque; the nakkar zana, or rest house, and the rauza, the mausoleum itself, where the tomb is located.

Flowers carved in marble

The unique style of the Taj Mahal combines elements of Persian, Central Asian and Islamic architecture. Among the attractions of the complex are a marble floor with a black and white checkerboard pattern, four 40-meter minarets at the corners of the mausoleum and a majestic dome in the center.

Arched vault

Qur'anic verses written around arched openings appear to be the same size no matter how far they are from the floor - an optical illusion created by larger fonts and letter spacing as the height of the inscription increases. There are other optical illusions in the Taj Mahal mausoleum. Impressive pietra dura decorations include geometric elements as well as plant and flower designs traditional to Islamic architecture. The level of craftsmanship and complexity of the work on the monument become clear when you start to look at the small details: for example, in some places more than 50 precious inlays were used on one decorative element measuring 3 cm.

The gateway to the mausoleum gardens can be admired as a masterpiece in its own right, with graceful marble arches, domed chambers on the four corner towers and two rows of 11 small chattris (domes-umbrellas) right above the entrance. They provide the perfect frame for a first look at the entire ensemble.

Char Bagh (four gardens)- an integral part of the Taj Mahal, in a spiritual sense symbolizing the paradise to which Mumtaz Mahal ascended, and in an artistic sense emphasizing the color and texture of the mausoleum. Dark cypress trees enhance the shine of the marble, and the channels (in those rare cases when they are full), converging on a wide central viewing platform, not only provide a wonderful second image of the monument, but also, since they reflect the sky, add soft illumination from below at dawn and sunset.

Unfortunately, vandals stole all the treasures of the tomb, but the delicate beauty of roses and poppies was still preserved in richly inlaid slabs of onyx, green peridot, carnelian and agate of various colors.

Minaret

On either side of the mausoleum are two almost identical buildings: to the west is a mosque, to the east is a building that may have served as a pavilion for guests, although its main purpose was to ensure complete symmetry throughout architectural ensemble. Each of them looks beautiful - try looking at the pavilion at sunrise, and the mosque at sunset. Also walk out to the back of the Taj Mahal, to a terrace overlooking the Jumna River all the way to the Agra Fort. At dawn the best (and cheap) the viewpoint is located on the opposite bank of the river, where, according to popular (but probably unreliable) According to legend, Shah Jahan planned to install a mirror made of completely black marble, reflecting the Taj Mahal. A line of boats lined up along the shore, ready to transport tourists across the river.

Top of the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal itself stands on a raised marble platform at the northern end of the ornamental gardens, with its back facing the Yamuna River. The elevated position means that “only the sky is higher” - this is an elegant move by the designers. Decorative 40-meter white minarets adorn the building on all four corners of the platform. After more than three centuries, they tilted slightly, but perhaps this was intentional (installation at a slight angle from the building) so that in the event of an earthquake they would not fall on the Taj Mahal, but away from it. The red sandstone mosque on the western side is an important temple for the Muslims of Agra.

Cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal

The Taj Mahal mausoleum was built from translucent white marble blocks, on which flowers are carved and a mosaic of thousands of semi-precious stones is laid out. It is a superb example of symmetry - the four identical sides of the Taj with magnificent arches decorated with scroll carvings in the Pietra Dura style and quotations from the Koran, carved in calligraphy and decorated with jasper. The entire structure is topped by four small domes surrounding the famous central onion dome.

Immediately below the main dome is the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal, a tomb (false) fine workmanship, surrounded by perforated marble slabs, decorated with dozens of different semi-precious stones. Here, breaking the symmetry, is the cenotaph of Shah Jahan, who was buried by his son Aurangzeb who overthrew him in 1666. Light penetrates into the central room through carved marble screens. The real tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are in a closed room on the ground floor below the main hall. They cannot be seen.

Requiem in Marble

Mahal means "palace", but in this case Taj Mahal is a diminutive name for Mumtaz Mahal ("jewel of the palace"), which was given to Shah Jahan's cousin when she married him. The daughter of his mother's brother, she was his constant companion long before he received the throne, and later she was the first lady among hundreds of others in his harem. During 19 years of marriage, she bore him 14 children and died giving birth to her last child in 1631.

Legend has it that Shah Jahan's beard - he was 39, just a year older than his wife - turned white virtually overnight after her death, and he continued to mourn for several years, dressing in white on each anniversary of her death. The construction of the Taj Mahal required twelve years of his tireless work with a Persian architect and craftsmen brought from Baghdad, Italy and France - a period that can be considered the highest expression of his grief. “The Empire has no sweetness for me now,” he wrote. “Life itself has lost all taste for me.”

Myths about the Taj Mahal

Taj - Hindu temple

A popular theory is that the Taj was actually a Shiva temple built in the 12th century. and later was transformed into the well-known Mumtaz Mahal mausoleum, owned by Purushottam Nagesh Oak. He asked to open the sealed basement rooms of the Taj to prove his theory, but in 2000, the Supreme Court of India rejected his request. Purushottam Nagesh also states that the Kaaba, Stonehenge and the papacy are also of Hindu origin.

Black Taj Mahal

This is the story that Shah Jahan planned to build a black marble twin of the Taj Mahal on the opposite side of the river as his own mausoleum, and this work was started by his son Aurangzeb after imprisoning his father in the Agra fort. Intensive excavations in the Mehtab Bagh area have not confirmed this assumption. No traces of construction were found.

Dismemberment of the Masters

Legend says that after the construction of the Taj was completed, Shah Jahan ordered the hands to be cut off and the eyes of the craftsmen to be gouged out so that they could never repeat it. Fortunately, this story has not found any historical confirmation.

The sinking Taj Mahal

Some experts claim that, according to some sources, the Taj Mahal is slowly leaning towards the river bed and this is caused by changes in the soil due to the gradual drying of the Yamuna River. The Archaeological Survey of India declared the existing changes in the height of the building to be minor, adding that no structural changes or damage have been found in the 70 years since the first scientific survey of the Taj Mahal was carried out in 1941.

Taj Mahal Museum

The Taj Mahal complex includes the small but wonderful Taj Museum (entrance 5 rupees; 10:00-17:00 Saturday-Thursday). It is located in the western part of the gardens. The museum contains original Mughal miniatures, a pair of portraits of Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal from Ivory(XVII century). There are also several well-preserved gold and silver coins from the same period, architectural drawings of the Taj, and several elegant celadon plates that are rumored to shatter into pieces or change color if there was poison in the food on the plate.

The best views of the Taj Mahal

On the territory of the Taj

You will have to pay 750 rupees for the pleasure, but only inside the complex around the Taj Mahal you can fully experience all the beauty and power of the most beautiful building on earth. Be sure to pay attention to the mosaic (Pietra Dura) inside niches with arches (pishtakov) on the four outer walls. Don't forget to take a flashlight with you to better see similar patterns inside the dark central hall mausoleum. Pay attention to the white marble and semi-precious stones interspersed with it.

The main thing is to “get in”

From Mehtab Bagh

Tourists are no longer allowed to walk freely along the embankment on the opposite bank of the Yamuna River, but it is still possible to admire the Taj Mahal from behind, from Mehtaba Bagh Park (XVI century) on the other side of the river. The path leading down to the river will lead you to a place where the same views can be enjoyed for free, albeit from a limited perspective.

View from the south bank of the river

This perfect place to watch the sunset. Follow the path that runs along the eastern wall of the Taj Mahal down to a small temple by the river. There you will find boats that you can ride on the river and enjoy even more romantic views. Expect to pay approximately 100 rupees per boat. For safety reasons, it is better not to go here alone at sunset.

From the roof of a cafe in Taj Ganj

A great option for photographing at dawn is the rooftops of a cafe in Taj Ganj. The pictures come out very beautiful. We think the rooftop cafe at Saniya Palace Hotel is the best place. The location is great, there is a lot of greenery around. But in principle such good places there are many, and they all offer as a bonus a view of the Taj Mahal, which you can admire while enjoying a cup of morning coffee.

Taj Mahal area

From Agra Fort

If you have a camera with a decent lens, you can take stunning photographs of the Taj Mahal from Agra Fort, especially if you are prepared to get up at dawn and catch the moment when the sun rises from behind its walls. Perhaps, best places for filming are the Musamman Burj and Khas Mahal, the octagonal tower and palace where Shah Jahan was imprisoned and where he spent the last eight years of his life.

Information for visitors

Taj Mahal opening hours

The mausoleum is open daily from 6 am to 7 pm, except Friday (On this day it is open only to those who come to the Friday service at the mosque on the territory of the Taj Mahal).

You can also admire the Taj Mahal by moonlight - two days before and two days after the full moon, the mausoleum is open in the evening hours - from 20.30 to midnight.

Entrance

Entrance to Taj Mahal costs 750 INR (about $12), children under 15 years old – free entry.

Best time to visit Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is magnificent at sunrise. This is definitely best time for visiting, and there are fewer people during these hours. Sunset is another magical time when you can enjoy wonderful views. You can view the Taj for five nights during the full moon period. The number of entries is limited. Tickets must be purchased a day before the visit from the Archaeological Survey of India Office (12227263; www.asi.nic.in; 22 Mall; Indians/foreigners 510/750 INR). Read more on their website. Please note that this office is known as Taj Mahal Office among rickshaw drivers.

Photo and video shooting

Photo and video shooting with professional equipment is prohibited (DSLR cameras, due to their great popularity among tourists, are usually not considered professional equipment, but there may be problems if you have a very large lens). Permission to shoot with a regular camera will cost an additional 25 INR.

Sunlit Taj Mahal

How to get there

The Taj Mahal is located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in the city of Agra - it is approximately 200 km away. from Delhi.

The following trains operate from Delhi to Agra:

• Shatabdi Express - leaves New Delhi Station at 6:00 am, returns at 20:40 (travel time 2 hours).
• “Taj-Express” - departs from Nizamuddin Station at 7:15, back at 18:50 (travel time 3 hours).
• In addition to them, all trains to Kolkata, Mumbai and Gwalior go through Agra.

In addition, you can get to Agra by bus (express from 3 hours), taxi (2000 INR) or by ordering group tour(from 1500 INR, including entrance fees).

From Agra itself you can get to the Taj Mahal by rickshaw or taxi.

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Taj Mahal Mausoleum

Inside the mausoleum there are two tombs - the Shah and his wife. In fact, their burial place is located below - strictly under the tombs, underground. The construction time dates back to approximately 1630-1652. The Taj Mahal is a five-domed structure 74 m high on a platform, with 4 minarets at the corners (they are slightly tilted away from the tomb so as not to damage it in case of destruction), which is adjacent to a garden with fountains and a swimming pool.

The walls are made of polished translucent marble (brought 300 km away for construction) with inlaid gems. Turquoise, agate, malachite, carnelian, etc. were used. Marble has such a feature that in bright daylight it looks white, at dawn pink, and on a moonlit night - silver.

Architecture

The mausoleum has numerous symbols hidden in its architecture and layout. For example, on the gate through which visitors of the Taj Mahal enter the park complex surrounding the mausoleum, four final verses from the 89th sura of the Koran “Dawn” (Al-Fajr), addressed to the soul of the righteous, are carved:

“O you, resting soul! Return to your Lord satisfied and having achieved contentment! Come in with My servants. Enter My Paradise!

On the left side of the tomb there is a mosque made of red sandstone. On the right is an exact copy of the mosque. The entire complex has axial symmetry. The tomb has central symmetry relative to the Mumtaz Mahal tomb. This symmetry is broken only by the tomb of Shah Jahan, which was built there after his death.

Present tense

Recently, cracks were discovered in the walls of the Taj Mahal. According to scientists, the appearance of cracks may be due to the shallowing of the nearby Dzhamna River. The disappearance of the river will lead to a change in the soil structure and subsidence of the mausoleum, and perhaps even to its destruction. It also began to lose its legendary whiteness due to polluted air. Despite the expanding parkland around the Taj Mahal and the closure of a number of particularly dirty industries in Agra, the mausoleum is still turning yellow. It has to be cleaned regularly using special white clay.

Tourism

Tens of thousands of people visit the Taj Mahal every day; at the expense of tourists, the “Indian pearl” brings a lot of money to the country’s treasury. During the year, the Taj Mahal receives from 3 to 5 million visitors, of which more than 200,000 are from abroad. Most tourists come during the cooler months of the year - October, November and February. The movement of vehicles with internal combustion engines near the complex is prohibited, so tourists approach the parking lot on foot, or can take an electric bus. The Hawasspuras (north courtyard) has now been restored for use as a new visitor centre. In a small town to the south, known as Taj Ganji or Mumtazabad, caravanserais, bazaars and markets were built to cater to the needs of visitors and workers. The Taj Mahal also appears in several lists as one of the seven wonders of modern world, including in the list of New Seven Wonders of the World compiled in 2007 (after a survey of more than 100 million votes).

For security reasons, you can only bring water in transparent bottles, small video cameras, cameras, etc. inside the Taj Mahal complex. Cell phones and small handbags.

The name Taj Mahal can be translated as “The Greatest Palace” (where Taj is the crown and mahal is the palace). The name Shah Jahan can be translated as “Ruler of the World” (where Shah is the ruler, Jahan is the world, the universe). The name Mumtaz Mahal can be translated as “Chosen One of the Court” (where Mumtaz is the best, mahal is palace, courtyard). Similar meanings of words are preserved in Arabic, Hindi and some other languages.

Many tourist guides say that after his overthrow, Shah Jahan sadly admired his creation, the Taj Mahal, from the windows of his prison for many years before his death. Usually these stories mention the Red Fort - the palace of Shah Jahan, built by him at the zenith of his reign, part of the chambers of which the son of Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, Aurangzeb, turned into a luxurious prison for his father. However, here the publications confuse the Delhi Red Fort (hundreds of kilometers from the Taj) and the Red Fort in Agra, also built by the Great Mughals, but earlier, and which is really located next to the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan, according to Indian researchers, was kept in Delhi's Red Fort and could not see the Taj Mahal from there.

Very similar to the Taj Mahal both in Mughal origin and in appearance Humayun's tomb in Delhi. This tomb of the Mughal emperor was also built as a sign of great love - not just a husband for his wife, but a wife for her husband. Despite the fact that Humayun's tomb was built earlier, and Jahan, when constructing his masterpiece, was guided by the architectural experience of Humayun's tomb, it is little known in comparison with the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal has an optical focus. If you move with your back to the exit, facing the Taj Mahal, it will seem that this temple is huge compared to the trees and environment.

Film appearance

• "Deep Impact" - The Taj Mahal is shown with a meteorite exploding in the sky.
• “Life after people” - The Taj Mahal is shown after 1000 years without people - earthquakes will overturn all the minarets, and then the mausoleum itself will collapse.
• "Mars attacks! " - aliens pose against the backdrop of an exploding mausoleum.
• “The Last Dance” - the main character of the film, sentenced to death, dreams of visiting the Taj Mahal. The lawyer, in love with her, but unable to save her from the sentence, visits the mazvol after her execution.
• "The escape " - main character helps the prison director build a model of the Taj Mahal
• “Fire” is a film, the first part of a trilogy by Deepa Mehta.
• “Slumdog Millionaire” - the main character of the film remembers how he and his brother made money from tourists on illegal excursions.

Gallery

see also

Notes

Links

• Photos and full history of the Taj Mahal on Toptravel.ru
• History of the Mughal family and dynasty against the background of their creations (Taj Mahal, tombs of Humayun, Babur, etc.), Mughal influence on the art of India
• New 7 wonders of the world. Taj Mahal is a symbol of India. (History. Mumtaz. Description of the temple.)

UNESCO World Heritage in India

Categories:

• World Heritage alphabetically
• World Heritage in India
• Uttar Pradesh
• Temples and mausoleums of Islam
• Mausoleums
• Appeared in 1654
• Monuments of India
• Architecture of the Mughal Empire
• Islamic architecture
• Architecture of India
• Tourism in Uttar Pradesh

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Synonyms:

• Allen
• Madhya Pradesh

See what "Taj Mahal" is in other dictionaries:

Taj Mahal- widely famous monument Indian architecture of the Mughal period, built on the banks of the river. Jamna, near Agra. Built around 1630 52 (architects probably Ustad Isa and others) as the mausoleum of Shah Jahan’s wife, which later housed... ... Art encyclopedia

In 1612, a descendant of Tamerlane, Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan) married Mumtaz Mahal. The prince was delighted with the beauty of Mumtaz Mahal, the wedding could only be held if the stars were favorable, they had to wait five years for this moment, and their meetings were impossible.

In 1628, Shah Jahan began to rule India, everyone noted the very tender and close relationship between the Sultan and his wife, despite the presence of a large harem. This was the only person whom the ruler trusted completely; he even took his wife to accompany military campaigns, since he did not want to be without her for a long time.

A year into Shah Jahan's reign, in the 17th year of marriage, his beloved wife died during the birth of their 14th child. The Sultan lost his beloved man, his best friend and his wise adviser. The Sultan wore mourning for two years, and his hair turned completely gray from grief. A new impetus for the continuation of life was his vow to build a unique tombstone, worthy of his wife, which later became a symbol of their love.

Construction

In 1632, the construction of the Taj Mahal began, which lasted more than 20 years. The city chosen was Agra, at that time the economic and social center of India. Shah Jahan recruited more than 20,000 of the best craftsmen and workers in India and Asia. The best materials were purchased for the construction of the grandiose monument. The mausoleum was built of white marble, using a record number of precious and semi-precious stones for decoration and interior decoration. The doors were made of silver, the parapet was of gold, and the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal was covered with a cloth studded with pearls.

In 1803, the tomb was plundered by Lord Lake, 44 tolas of gold were taken away, and many precious stones were taken from the walls. Lord Curzon, having come to power, passed laws that made it possible to save the Taj Mahal from complete plunder. In 1653, the Sultan began construction of a second mausoleum, an exact copy of the Taj Mahal, only made of black marble. Construction could not be completed, the country was exhausted from internal wars. In 1658, Shah Jahan was overthrown by one of his sons, and was kept under arrest for 9 years. Shah Jahan was buried in the same crypt with his beloved wife in the Taj Mahal.

Structural features

The Taj Mahal is in the center big park, which can be entered through a gate that symbolizes the entrance to heaven. In front of the mausoleum there is a large marble pool. The building itself looks weightless, despite its impressive size (height 75 meters). It is a symmetrical octagonal building topped by a large white dome. Mumtaz Mahal was buried in a dungeon, exactly under a dome resembling a flower bud. When measuring the building, clear symmetry and many interesting geometric coincidences were revealed.

Inside the mausoleum there are two tombs - the Shah and his wife. In fact, their burial place is located in the same place as the tombs, but underground. The construction time dates back to approximately 1630-1652. The Taj Mahal is a five-domed structure 74 m high on a platform, with 4 minarets in the corners (they are slightly tilted away from the tomb so as not to damage it in case of destruction), which is adjacent to a garden with fountains and a swimming pool. The walls are made of polished translucent marble (brought 300 km away for construction) with inlaid gems. Turquoise, agate, malachite, carnelian, etc. were used. More than 20,000 craftsmen from all over the empire were invited to build the complex. There was supposed to be a twin building on the other side of the river, but it was not completed.

The mausoleum has numerous symbols hidden in its architecture and layout. For example, on the gate through which visitors of the Taj Mahal enter the park complex surrounding the mausoleum, a quote from the Koran is carved, addressed to the righteous and ending with the words “enter my paradise.” Considering that in the Mughal language of that time the words “paradise” and “garden” are written the same way, one can understand Shah Jahan’s plan - to build a paradise and place his beloved within it.

A beautiful story about the history of the creation of the Taj Mahal
http://migranov.ru/agrastory.php

For 22 years (1630-1652), more than twenty thousand people, including the best architects and architects of India, Persia, Turkey, Venice and Samarkand, built this airy-lace marble monument to the love of the Muslim Mughal king Shah Jahan ("ruler of the world") to to his wife Arjumand Bano Begum, who received the name Mumtaz Mahal during the coronation, which means “chosen one of the court.”

They got married when she was 19 years old. He loved only young Mumtaz and did not notice other women. She gave birth to 14 children to her ruler and died giving birth to the last child.

For a long time, the Taj Mahal was the tallest building in India; its height, together with the main dome, is 74 meters.

Unfortunately, this recognized masterpiece of world architecture is gradually falling into decay - there are no longer silver doors, a gold parapet, or pearl-studded fabric on the tomb of the beautiful Mumtaz. Scientists believe that the towers of the minarets are dangerously tilted and may fall.

And yet, this miracle has existed for 355 years.