The Taj Mahal is a monument of Mughal style architecture, which combines elements of Persian, Indian and Islamic architectural styles. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child (Shah Jahan himself was later buried here). The Taj Mahal is located in the western part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, and is represented by an entire architectural complex, and not just the well-known marble mausoleum. Construction of the building began around 1632 and was completed in 1653; 20 thousand artisans and craftsmen worked. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is called "the jewel of Muslim art in India, one of the universally recognized masterpieces of heritage, admired throughout the world."
The Taj Mahal is located south of the city walls of the city of Agra. Shah Jahan exchanged this plot, owned by Maharaja Jai Singh I, for Grand Palace in the center of Agra. Construction of the foundations and mausoleum took about 12 years, and the rest of the complex was completed after another 10 years. Since the complex was built in several stages, there are several completion dates. For example, the mausoleum was built in 1643, but work on the rest of the complex was completed in 1653. The estimated construction cost of the Taj Mahal varies depending on sources and calculation methods. The approximate total cost of construction is estimated at 32 million rupees, which in today's money is several trillion dollars.
Construction began with excavation work on a site of approximately three acres (12,000 m2), the bulk of which consisted of leveling and raising the surface of the area by 50 meters above the river level. Wells were dug at the site of the mausoleum, which, filled with rubble stone, formed the foundations of the structure. Instead of scaffolding of tied bamboo, large-scale scaffolding of brick was erected to surround the tomb. They were so impressive in size that the craftsmen in charge of the construction feared that dismantling them could take years. According to legend, Shah Jahan announced that anyone could take and keep as many bricks as they wanted, and the forests were dismantled by the peasants almost overnight. A 15 km long rammed earth ramp was built to transport marble and other materials. Groups of 20-30 oxen pulled the blocks on specially designed carts. Water for construction was extracted from the river using a rope-bucket system using animal power and drained into a large reservoir, from where it rose to a distribution tank. From there it was distributed into three auxiliary tanks and transported through pipes to the construction complex.
Construction materials were purchased from many regions of India and Asia. More than 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials during construction. Brilliant white marble comes from Rajasthan, jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China, turquoise from Tibet, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, sapphires from Sri Lanka and carnelian from Arabia. A total of 28 types of different precious and semi-precious stones are embedded in the white marble of the Taj Mahal.
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 Palace” (where Mumtaz is the best, mahal is palace, courtyard). Similar meanings of words are preserved in Arabic, Hindi and some other languages.
More than 20,000 people who came from all over Northern India took part in the construction. Among the group of 37 people responsible for the artistic image of the complex were sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlay masters from south india, stonemasons from Balochistan, as well as a specialist in the construction of towers and a master in cutting marble ornaments.
History has preserved very few names of craftsmen and architects, since at that time in the Islamic world, patrons were mainly praised, not architects. From contemporary sources it is known that the construction was supervised by a large team of architects. There are mentions that Shah Jahan himself personally participated in the construction more than any other Mughal ruler before him. He held daily meetings with architects and superintendents, and historians say he often proposed ideas or adjusted ideas they proposed. Two architects are mentioned by name: Ustad Ahmad Lahauri and Mir Abdul Karim.
Famous builders of the Taj Mahal are:
Ustad Ahmad Lahauri from Iran is the chief architect. Mir Abdul Karim from Shiraz (Iran) is one of the main leaders. Ismail Afandi from the Ottoman Empire is the builder of the main dome of the mausoleum. Iranians Ustad Isa and Isa Muhamed Efendi are believed to have played a key role in architectural design. Puru from Benarus (Iran) is the supervising architect. Gazim Khan from Lahore - cast a gold tip for the mausoleum. Chiranjilal from Delhi is a master sculptor and mosaic artist. Amanat Han from Shiraz (Iran) is a master calligrapher. Mohamed Hanif, chief masonry supervisor. Mukarimat Han from Shiraz (Iran) is the general manager. 
The main elements of the architectural complex of the Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal's architectural style incorporates and expands on the building traditions of Islam, Persia, India, and the Mughals (although modern research into the monument's architecture points to French influence, especially in the interior). The overall design is based on the architecture of a series of Timurid and Mughal buildings, including the Gur Emir (Tomb of Tamerlane), I'timād-ud-Daulah and Jama Masjid in Delhi. Under the patronage of Shah Jahan, architectural style The Mughals have reached a new level. Before the construction of the Taj Mahal, the main building material was red sandstone, but the emperor promoted the use of white marble and semi-precious stones.
The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daula (1622-1628), also called the Baby Taj, is located in the city of Agra. The architecture of the mausoleum resembles a smaller Taj Mahal.
Taj Mahal Plan: 
1. Moonlight Garden 2. Yamuna River 3. Minarets 4. Mausoleum - Mosque 6. Guest House (Jawab) 7. Garden (Charbagh) 8. Great Gate (safe access) 9. Outer Courtyard 10. Bazaar (Taj Ganji)
Moonlight Garden.
To the north of the Taj Mahal complex, across the Yamuna River, there is another garden belonging to the complex. It is made in a style characteristic of Agra, and is one with the embankment on the north side of the river. The width of the garden is identical to the width of the main part of the complex. The entire design of the garden is focused on its center, which is a large octagonal pool, which serves as a kind of mirror for the Taj Mahal. Since Mughal times, the garden has experienced numerous floods that devastated large parts of it. Of the four sandstone towers located in the border corners of the garden, only one, located in the south-eastern part, has survived. There are remains of two buildings located at the north and south end of the garden, which are believed to be garden buildings. On the north side, there was a waterfall that flows into the pool. The water supply comes from aqueducts on the western side.
Mausoleum.
The centerpiece and main element of the Taj Mahal complex is the 68-meter-high white marble mausoleum. It is located on a square-shaped hill with a side of 100 meters and a height of about 7 meters. There are four minarets in the four corners of this square. The mausoleum was built in accordance with strict rules of symmetry, and is a square with a side of 56.6 meters, with cut corners in which arched niches are placed. The structure is almost perfectly symmetrical about four axes, and consists of several floors: a basement floor containing the actual tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz, a main floor that contains identical cenotaphs of the tombs below, and roof terraces.
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.
Spire: its height is 10 meters, it was originally built of gold, but after being looted by the British colonialists, it was replaced with a bronze copy. Lotus: carved contours at the top of the dome, in the shape of a lotus. Main dome: also called “amrud”, height 75 meters. Drum: cylindrical base of the dome. Guldasta: decorative spiers along the edges of the walls. Additional domes (Chatri): elevations above the balconies in the form of small domes. Framing: closing the panel on the arches. Calligraphy: Stylized Koranic verses above the main arch. Niches: in the four corners of the mausoleum there are six niches located on two levels. Panels: decorative panels framing the main walls. 
The entrance to the mausoleum is made of four huge arches, in the upper part, representing a cut-off dome. The top of each arch extends beyond the roof using an addition to the façade.
In general, the building is topped with five domes, arranged completely symmetrically, like the rest of the complex. All domes have lotus leaf decorations at the top. The largest of them (18 meters in diameter and 24 in height) is located in the center, and the other four smaller ones (8 meters in diameter) are located around the central one. The height of the central dome is emphasized and further increased by a cylindrical element (drum), which is exposed above the roof to a height of 7 meters, and on which the dome rests. This element, however, is almost invisible; it is hidden from view by the protruding part of the entrance arches. This gives the impression that the dome is much larger than it actually is. Tall decorative spiers are built in the corners of the outer walls, which also provide a visual accent to the height of the dome.
The thickness of the walls of the mausoleum is 4 meters. The main building materials are red sandstone and brick. In fact, a small outer layer with a thickness of only 15 centimeters is made of marble.
The hierarchical sequence of the entire complex eventually converges in the main hall containing the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. The cenotaph of Mumtaz is installed in the geometric center of the building. Surrounding the cenotaphs is an octagonal screen consisting of eight intricately carved marble panels. The interior decoration is made entirely of marble, and decorated with precious stones arranged in concentric octagons. This arrangement is typical of Islamic and Indian cultures, for which spiritual and astrological themes are important. The walls from the inside are richly decorated with plant flowers, writings and ornaments, symbolizing the resurrection in the Garden of Eden.
Muslim traditions prohibit decorating graves and bodies, so Shah Jahan and Mumtaz are buried in a simpler room located below the cenotaph hall. Mumtaz's cenotaph measures 2.5 by 1.5 m and is decorated with inscriptions extolling her character. The cenotaph of Shah Jahan is located on the western side of the cenotaph of Mumtaz and is the only asymmetrical element of the entire complex.
Mosque and guest house (Jawab).
On the western and eastern sides of the mausoleum, with facades facing it, there are a mosque and a guest house (Jawab - translated as “answer”, it is believed that this building was built for symmetry with the mosque, and was used as a guest house), measuring 56x23 meters and 20 meters in height. Unlike the mausoleum, built of white marble, these structures are built of red sandstone, but are located on the same hill as the mausoleum with minarets. These buildings are completed by 3 domes, where the central dome is slightly larger than the others, and 4 octagonal towers in the corners. In front of each of the two buildings there is a water tank: in front of the mosque, water is necessary for the ablution ritual.
True, there are some differences between these two buildings. For example, in a mosque there is a niche indicating the direction to Mecca (mihrab), in guest house she's not there. Another difference is the way the floors in these buildings are made; if in the mosque the floor was laid out in the form of the outlines of 569 prayer rugs, then in the guest house on the floor there are writings quoting the Koran.
Minarets.
The minarets have the shape of a truncated cone with a height of 41.6 meters, and are located on the same marble terrace as the mausoleum. They are slightly inclined outward so that in the event of a strong earthquake and collapse they will not damage the mausoleum. The minarets are slightly lower than the central dome of the mausoleum, and seem to emphasize its grandeur. Like the mausoleum, they are completely covered with white marble, but the supporting structure is made of brick.
They were designed as functioning minarets, a traditional element of mosques. Each minaret is actually divided into three equal parts by two rows of balconies. At the top of the tower there is another row of balconies, and the structure is completed by a dome, similar to those installed on the mausoleum. All domes have the same decorative elements in the form of a lotus and a gilded spire. Inside each minaret, along its entire length, there is a large spiral staircase.
Garden.
The garden is a square with a side of 300 m, divided into 4 equal parts by two canals that intersect in the middle, and has a characteristic appearance of the Mughal era. Inside there are flower beds, shady streets and water channels that create a striking effect, reflecting the image of the building behind them. Each square formed by the channels is in turn divided into 4 more parts by paved paths. It is said that 400 trees were planted in each of these small squares.
To correct the fact that the mausoleum is located in the northern part of the garden, and not in its center, a pool was placed at the intersection of two canals (in the center of the garden and the entire complex), which reflects the image of the mausoleum. On the south side of the pool, a bench is installed in the center: this is an invitation to the visitor to admire the entire complex from an ideal vantage point.
The structure of the garden goes back to the very vision of paradise at that time: it was believed that paradise is an ideal garden abundantly irrigated with water. The idea of the garden as a symbol of paradise is reinforced by the inscriptions on the Great Gate, inviting one to enter heaven.
Most Mughal-era gardens were rectangular in shape with a tomb or pavilion in the center. The Taj Mahal architectural complex is unusual in that the main element (mausoleum) is located at the end of the garden. With the opening of the Moonlight Garden on the other side of the Yamuna River, the Archaeological Survey of India began to interpret this to mean that the Yamuna River itself was included in the garden's design and was to be seen as one of the rivers of Paradise. The similarities in the garden's layout and architectural features with the Shalimar Gardens suggest that they may have been designed by the same architect, Ali Mardan.
Very similar to the Taj Mahal both in Mughal origin and in appearance is the tomb of Humayun 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 Shah 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.
Great Gate.
The Great Gate has a special meaning in Islamic architecture: it symbolizes the transition point between the bustle and noise of the external material world and the spiritual world, where calm and spiritual peace reign.
The Great Gate is quite a large structure (41 by 34 meters and 23 meters in height), divided into three floors, built of red sandstone and marble. The entrance has the shape of a pointed arch, which is located in the center of the structure. The gate, like all other parts of the complex, is designed to be symmetrical. The height of the gate is exactly half the height of the mausoleum.
On top of the great gate is crowned with 22 small domes, located in two rows along the inner and outer edges of the gate. In each of the four corners of the structure there are big towers, thus repeating the architecture of the mausoleum. The Great Gate is decorated with quotations from the Koran in carefully chosen places.
Courtyard.
Courtyard (Dzilauhana) - which literally means the front of the house. It served as a place where visitors could leave their horses or elephants in front of the entrance to the main part of the complex. Two smaller copies of the main mausoleum are located in the southern corners of the courtyard. They are located on a small platform, which can be reached by stairs. Today it is not clear who is buried in these graves, but it is known that they are women. Two small buildings were built in the northern corners of the courtyard; they served as housing for visitors to the mausoleum and believers. These structures were destroyed in the 18th century, but were restored at the beginning of the 20th century, after which (until 2003) the building on the east served as a gardener's area, and the western one as a barn.
Bazaar (Taj Ganji).
The bazaar (market) was built as part of the complex, initially used for workers' housing and later as a place to store supplies and a space that complements the whole architectural ensemble. The territory of the bazaar was small town during the construction of the Taj Mahal. It was originally known as Mumtazabad (Mumtazabad city), and is now called Taj Ganji.
After its construction, Taj Ganji became a frequent city and the center of economic activity of the city of Agra, bringing goods from all parts of the empire and the world. The area of the market was constantly changing, and after construction in the 19th century, it no longer corresponded to the original plans of the builders. Most of the ancient buildings and structures were demolished or rebuilt.
Other buildings.
The Taj Mahal complex is surrounded on three sides by a red sandstone wall, and on the fourth side there is an embankment and the Yamuna River. Outside the walls of the complex, additional mausoleums were built for Shah Jahan's other wives, and a larger mausoleum for his beloved maid Mumtaz.
Water supply.
The architects of the Taj Mahal provided the complex with a complex system of pipes. Water is supplied from the nearby Yamuna River through a system of underground pipes. In order to collect water from the river, a rope system with buckets was used, driven by several oxen.
In order to ensure the necessary pressure in the pipe system, the main tank was raised to a height of 9.5 meters, and to equalize the pressure throughout the entire area of the complex, 3 additional tanks were used, located in different parts of the complex. In order to supply water to all parts of the monument, terracotta pipes with a diameter of 0.25 meters were used, which were buried to a depth of 1.8 meters.
The original pipe system is still present and in use, proving the skill of the builders who were able to create a system that lasted for almost 500 years without the necessary maintenance. However, it is worth noting that some underground water pipes were nevertheless replaced in 1903 with new cast iron pipes.
Threats
In 1942, to protect the Taj Mahal from attacks by the German Luftwaffe and later the Japanese Air Force, protective scaffolding was erected by order of the government. Protective forests were built again during the India-Pakistan War in 1965 and 1971.
Later threats came from pollution environment along the banks of the Yamuna River, including from the activities of the Mathura Refinery. Due to pollution, a yellow coating formed on the domes and walls of the Taj Mahal. To control pollution of the monument, the Indian government has created a zone around it with an area of 10,400 square kilometers, where strict emission standards apply.
Airplanes are prohibited from flying over the Taj Mahal.
Recently, a threat to the structural integrity of the Taj Mahal has emerged due to the declining groundwater level in the Yamuna river basin, which is falling at a rate of about 5 feet per year. In 2010, cracks appeared in some parts of the mausoleum and the minarets that surround the monument. This is due to the process of rotting of the wooden supports of the base of the monument that began, in the absence of water. According to some forecasts, the tomb could collapse within five years.
History of the Taj Mahal.
Period of Mughal rule (1632 - 1858)
Immediately after the construction of the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan's own son Aurangzeb placed him under house arrest. When Shah Jahan died, Aurangzeb buried him next to his wife inside the Taj Mahal. The complex has been clean and well maintained for almost a hundred years, financed by taxes from the market and the rich royal treasury. In the mid-18th century, maintenance costs for the complex dropped significantly, resulting in the complex being barely maintained.
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, until 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 which his son Aurangzeb turned into a luxurious prison for his father. However, here the publications confuse the Delhi Red Fort (hundreds of kilometers from the Taj Mahal) 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.
British period (1858th-1947th)
During the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the Taj Mahal was destroyed by British soldiers and officers. At the end of the 19th century, the British Viceroy in India, Lord Curzon, organized the restoration of the Taj Mahal, which was completed in 1908. Additionally, the gardens inside the Taj Mahal were restored in the British style that continues to this day. In 1942, during World War II, the government decided to create protective scaffolding over the mausoleum, fearing possible attacks by the German Luftwaffe and later by the Imperial Japanese Air Force.
Modern period (1947th -)
During the wars between India and Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, the Taj Mahal was also surrounded by protective forests. Later, threats emerged from environmental pollution along the banks of the Yamuna River, including from the activities of the Mathura Oil Refinery. Due to pollution, a yellow coating formed on the domes and walls of the Taj Mahal. To control pollution at the monument, the Indian government has created a 10,400 square kilometer zone around it where strict emission standards apply. In 1983, the Taj Mahal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Legends and myths of the Taj Mahal.
Black Taj Mahal.
One of the most famous legends states that Shah Jahan planned to build his own black marble mausoleum on the other side of the Yamuna River, symmetrical to the Taj Mahal, and wanted to connect them with a silver bridge. This can be evidenced by the remains of black marble across the Yamuna River, in the Moonlight Garden. However, excavations in the 1990s revealed that it was white marble used to build the Taj Mahal, which changed color over time and became black. This legend can be confirmed by the fact that in 2006, after the reconstruction of the pool in the Moonlight Garden, a dark reflection of the white Taj Mahal could be seen in its water. This legend became known from the notes of Jean-Baptiste Taverniera, a European traveler who visited Agra in 1665. His notes note that Shah Jahan was dethroned by his son Aurangzeb before construction of the black Taj Mahal began.
Killing and maiming of workers.
A famous myth tells that Shah Jahan, after building the Taj Mahal, killed or maimed the craftsmen and architects so that they could not build something as magnificent. Some other stories claim that the builders signed a contract agreeing not to participate in the construction of any similar structure. However, it is known that the builders of the Taj Mahal later built the Jama Masjid in Delhi.
Italian architect.
In response to the question of who designed the Taj Mahal? The West created a myth about the Italian architect, since Italy in the 17th century was the center of modern art. The founder of this myth is a missionary from the Augustinian Order, Father Don Manrique. He proclaimed the architect of the Taj Mahal to be an Italian named Geronimo Veroneo because he was in India at the time of construction. The statement is very controversial due to the fact that Geronimo Veroneo was not an architect, he produced and sold jewelry. In addition, there is no evidence in early European sources that Western architects could design in the style of other cultures with which they were not previously familiar.
Demolition of the Taj Mahal by the British.
Although there is no concrete evidence, it is mentioned that the British Lord William Bentinck (Governor General of India in the 1830s) planned to demolish the Taj Mahal to auction off the white marble from which it was built. His biographer John Rosselli says the story arose because William Bentinck was involved in the sale of marbles taken from the Agra Fort.
Taj Mahal - temple of the god Shiva.
Indian historian P. N. Oak claims that the Taj Mahal was originally used as a Hindu temple to the god Shiva, and Shah Jahan simply began to use it differently. This version was rejected as unfounded and lacking evidence in the form historical facts. The Supreme Court of India has rejected P. N. Oak's request to declare the Taj Mahal a Hindu cultural monument.
Looting of the Taj Mahal.
Although it is known that the British stole gold from the spiers of the Taj Mahal and the precious stones that decorated the walls of the mausoleum, there are myths that suggest that many other decorations were stolen from the Taj Mahal. History says that the cenotaphs of the Shah and his wife were gilded and decorated with diamonds, the doors of the mausoleum were made of carved jasper, and the space inside was decorated with rich carpets.
Tours of the Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal attracts a large number of tourists. UNESCO documented more than 2 million visitors in 2001, including more than 200 thousand from abroad. The cost of admission is two-tiered, with a significantly lower price for Indian citizens and a higher price for foreigners. The use of internal combustion engine vehicles is prohibited near the complex and tourists must either walk from the car park or take an electric bus to reach it.
Operating mode.
The monument is open to visitors from 6 am to 7 pm, with the exception of Fridays and the month of Ramadan, when the complex is open for believers. In addition, the complex opens at night on the day of the full moon, two days before the full moon and two days after the full moon. The museum inside the Taj Mahal complex is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, admission is free.
Every year from February 18 to 27, the Taj Mahotsav festival is held in Agra, in the place where the master creators of the Taj Mahal lived. The festival celebrates the arts and crafts of the Mughal era and Indian culture in general. At the festival you can see processions with the participation of elephants and camels, drummer shows and colorful performances.
Cost and visiting rules.
An entrance ticket to the complex will cost a foreigner 750 rupees (435 rubles). This high cost is explained by the fact that it consists of the entrance tax of the Archaeological Society of India (250 rupees or 145 rubles) and the fee of the Agra Development Department (500 rupees or 290 rubles). Children under 15 years old have free admission.
Night session tickets for the cultural site cost Rs 750 for foreigners and Rs 500 for Indian citizens and must be purchased 24 hours before the visit from the Archaeological Society of India ticket office on Mall Road. The ticket price includes a half-liter bottle of water, shoe covers, a guide map for Agra, and travel by electric transport.
When entering the Taj Mahal, visitors will have to go through a security screening procedure: a frame, a manual search, things are scanned and necessarily inspected manually. Your camera and other unnecessary items must be placed in a storage room. You can only film the mausoleum with a video camera from afar. Just take pictures up close. You cannot take photographs inside the mausoleum itself; this is strictly monitored by the staff of the complex.
It is prohibited to bring into the complex: food, matches, lighters, tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, food supplies, knives, electronic devices, tripods.
How to get there.
The city of Agra is well connected to major cities of the country and lies on the Golden Triangle tourist circuit (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur). possible in several ways.
1. By plane from Delhi 2. By rail from any large city 3. By car Distance to major cities:
Bharatpur - 57 km, Delhi - 204 km, Jaipur - 232 km, Khajuraho - 400 km, Lucknow - 369 km
Best time of year to visit Taj Mahal: November to February. At other times it is usually either too hot or too damp.
The properties of the stone from which the Taj Mahal is built are such that it changes its color depending on the angle of light falling on it. Thus, it makes sense to arrive here at dawn and, after spending the whole day, leave at sunset to absorb all the diversity of colors. To see a masterpiece in divine golden shades, you can arrive in advance in the evening at one of the hotels located near the South Gate (Taj Ganj area) of the Taj Mahal and come here early in the morning when the complex opens. At six o'clock in the morning you have a chance to see the Taj Mahal in silent solitude and in all its grandeur: during the day the complex is filled with crowds of tourists.
The city itself, Agra, is quite dirty and inhospitable, so you shouldn’t spend a lot of time traveling here. One day is enough to touch the beauty and get to know the “legend made of stone.”
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The Taj Mahal is famous all over the world and has attracted many tourists for 350 years. The silhouette, familiar from countless photographs, has become a symbol of India. The Taj Mahal seems to float between heaven and earth: its proportions, symmetry, surrounding gardens and water mirror create an unprecedented impression.
The monument erected by the Sultan in honor of his beloved wife not only amazes with its appearance, but also the history that accompanied the construction of the mausoleum.
History of the Taj Mahal mausoleum
In 1612, Prince Khurram (the future ruler Shah Jahan, whose name means “Lord of the Universe”) took the beautiful Mumtaz Mahal as his wife. According to one version, the future princess was a commoner, but the prince, seeing her eyes, simply could not resist. According to another, more probable version, Mumtaz Mahal was the niece of Jahan’s mother and the daughter of the first vizier.
The lovers could not get married right away: according to local tradition, the wedding ceremony could only take place if the stars were favorable, so Shah Jahan and his beloved had to wait for a happy day for five whole years, during which they never saw each other.
Shah Jahan ascended the throne in 1628. As befits a ruler, he had a large number of wives, but Mumtaz Mahal remained his most beloved. She accompanied him even on long military campaigns and was the only person he completely trusted.
In 1629, after giving birth to her 14th child, the wife of ruler Shah Jahan, known as Mumtaz Mahal (“Chosen by the Palace”), died. This happened in a tent pitched in a camp near Burhanpur
She was 36 years old, of which she was married for 17 years. It should be noted that for a woman in those days it was a respectable age, and frequent childbirth undermined her health. So it was rare for a woman in India to live to be forty.
Sultan Shah Jahan was very sad, because he lost not only his beloved wife, but also a wise adviser who helped him in the most difficult political situations. There is information that he mourned for her for two years, and his hair turned gray from grief. The Sultan took an oath to build tombstone, worthy of the memory of his wife, completely unusual, with which nothing in the world can compare.
The city of Agra, which in the 17th century was considered a capital on a par with Delhi, was chosen as the location for the future mausoleum. The location was chosen surprisingly well: no one has yet caused serious damage to the mausoleum.
Construction began in 1632 and continued for more than 20 years. More than 20,000 workers were employed here. Many skilled masons, stone cutters and jewelers flocked to Agra from all over India and Western India. Ismail Khan designed the magnificent dome. The lines from the Holy Quran on various parts of the mausoleum - for example, on the main entrance to the Taj Mahal - were executed by the famous calligrapher Amanat Khan Shirazi. The main performers of the mosaic work were five Hindus.
The chief architect Ustad (meaning "master") Isa Khan was given unlimited powers. It should be noted that not everyone agrees that the architect was Isa Khan, assuring that she was not so technically advanced as to be able to independently build such a perfect temple. Supporters of this version say that most likely some invited Venetian master supervised the construction. Whether this is true or not is now unlikely to be established. There is no information in any document about who supervised the construction. Only the inscription on the Taj Mahal itself remains, which reads: “The builder was not a mere mortal, for the plan of the building was given to him by heaven.”
On the instructions of Shah Jahan, only the best was selected for the memorial in honor of his beloved wife. All materials for the mausoleum were delivered from afar. Sandstone was delivered to Agra from Sikri, semi-precious stones - from the mines of India, Persia and Central Asia. Jade was brought from, amethyst from, malachite from Russia, carnelian from Baghdad, turquoise from Persia and Tibet.
The white marble from which the Taj Mahal is made was delivered from the Makrana quarries, located 300 kilometers from Agra. Some of the marble blocks were enormous in size, and for transportation they were loaded into huge wooden carts, which were harnessed to several dozen buffaloes and oxen.
White marble is the basis of the entire Taj Mahal. The walls were covered with thousands of precious and semi-precious stones, and black marble was used for calligraphic ornaments. It is thanks to this treatment that the building is not pure white, as it is depicted in many photographs, but shimmers in many shades, depending on how the light falls on it.
Even in our time, the building of the mausoleum creates a feeling of unprecedented luxury, although before it looked even richer. The doors to the Taj Mahal were once made of silver, with hundreds of small silver nails hammered into them. Inside there was a parapet of gold, and a cloth strewn with pearls lay on the tomb of the princess, installed at the very spot where she was burned. Unfortunately, all this was stolen. When Lord Lake occupied Agra in 1803, his dragoons carried away 44,000 tolas from the Taj Mahal. pure gold. British soldiers removed many precious stones from the walls of the mausoleum. As Lord Curzon testifies, “it was common practice for soldiers, armed with chisels and hammers, to pick out precious stones from the tombstones of the emperor and his beloved wife in broad daylight.” Having become the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon introduced laws that saved the Taj Mahal and thousands of other monuments from complete destruction.
When construction came to an end, in 1653, the aging ruler gave the order to begin the construction of a second building - a mausoleum for himself. The second mausoleum was supposed to be an exact copy of the first, but made of marble, and between the two mausoleums there was to be a bridge made of black marble. But the second mausoleum was never built: the people began to grumble - the country was already impoverished from numerous internal wars, and the ruler was spending a lot of money on such buildings.
In 1658, Aurangzeb's son seized power and kept his father under house arrest for nine years in the Agra Fort, an octagonal tower. From there, Shah Jahan could see the Taj Mahal. Here, at dawn on January 23, 1666, Shah Jahan died, without taking his eyes off his beloved creation until the last moment. After his death, he was reunited with his beloved again - according to his will, he was buried next to him, in the same crypt as Mumtaz Mahal.
Features of the structure of the Taj Mahal mausoleum
The airiness is created by unusual proportions for us - the height is equal to the width of the facade, and the facade itself is cut through with huge semicircular niches and seems weightless. The width of the building is equal to its total height - 75 meters, and the distance from the floor level to the parapet above the arched portals is half the entire height. Many more lines can be drawn and a whole series of amazing patterns and correspondences can be discovered in the proportions of the Taj Mahal, which is equal in height to a twenty-story building, but is by no means overwhelming in size.
This perfectly symmetrical octagonal building measures 57 meters in perimeter and is topped by a central dome 24.5 meters high and 17 meters in diameter. When the giant dome was erected, to more conveniently deliver the necessary materials to a greater height, a sloping earthen embankment 3.6 kilometers long was built according to the design of Ismail Khan.
The remains of Mumtaz Mahal are buried underground, just under the very center of a large white dome, shaped like a flower bud. The Mughals were followers of Islam, and in Islamic art the dome points the way to heaven. An exact copy of the sarcophagus is installed at floor level so that visitors can honor the memory of the Empress without disturbing the peace in her tomb.
The entire park is surrounded on three sides by a fence. The stone entrance is decorated with a white patterned “portico”, and the top is “covered” with 11 domes; on the sides there are two towers, also crowned with white domes.
The Taj Mahal is located in the middle of a park (its area is almost 300 sq. m.), which can be entered through a large gate, symbolizing the entrance to paradise. The park is designed like a road that leads directly to the entrance of the Taj Mahal. In the middle of this “road” there is a large marble pool with an irrigation canal stretched to it. During the time of Shah Jahan, decorative fish swam in the pool, and peacocks and other exotic birds strutted along the paths. Guards dressed in white clothes and armed with blowguns guarded the garden from birds of prey.
The mausoleum is located in the center of a vast rectangular area (length 600 m, width 300 m). The short northern side runs along the banks of the Jamna River. On the southern side, a third of the territory is occupied outbuildings and ends with a monumental gate leading into the walled area that makes up most rectangle.
The facades of the mausoleum are decorated with gently sloping pointed arches. In addition, so-called “stalactites” are used here - articulations of small cantilever niches overhanging each other. Stalactites support the projecting forms and are located at the base of the dome, in niches, under cornices and on column capitals. They are made of plaster or terracotta and create an exceptionally subtle play of light and shade.
A wide staircase leads to the very center of the facade. It is customary to leave shoes at its base, as before entering a temple.
The inside of the building is no less beautiful than the outside. The snow-white walls are decorated with stones and intricate patterns. Fourteen suras from the Koran - a traditional decoration for Muslim architecture - crown the arches above the windows. On the walls are garlands of unfading stone flowers. In the center is a carved marble screen, behind which two false tombs are visible. In the very middle there is a chamber of the tomb, which has a square plan with beveled corners. The chamber contains the cenotaphs of the Taj Mahal and Shah Jahan, surrounded by an openwork marble fence.
Mausoleum of the Taj Mahal today
The Taj Mahal Mausoleum is the most visited place in India. Thousands of tourists come here from all over the world. There are police officers on all four sides of the mausoleum, who vigilantly monitor all visitors. They guard the entrance to the upper platforms of the mausoleum (before this passage was closed, dozens of suicides jumped from the minarets, most often the reason was unrequited love - symbolic, because the Taj Mahal is also called the “temple of love”). Police also ensure that tourists do not take photographs of the building up close, since the Taj Mahal is recognized as a national shrine.
It should be noted that scientists are seriously concerned about the future of the mausoleum. In October 2004, two Indian historians warned that the Taj Mahal was tilting and could collapse or settle if authorities in the state of Utar Pradesh, where the famous mausoleum is located, did not deal with the area immediately adjacent to the monument. Of particular concern is the Jamna, located next to the Taj Mahal. This is due to the drying out of the riverbed. The Indian government has promised to allocate a sufficient amount for special work.
It is undoubtedly necessary to protect this architectural monument. After all, this is not only the most famous mausoleum, but also one of the most beautiful buildings on earth. traveler Edward Lear, who visited India in the mid-19th century, wrote in his diary: “All people in the world are divided into two groups - those who saw the Taj Mahal, and those who did not deserve this happiness.”
One of the most wonderful creations of human hands, a place that annually attracts millions of people from all over the world - the majestic and beautiful Taj Mahal - is rightfully a real symbol of India.
History of construction
The Taj Mahal is an amazing snow-white structure that was built as a tomb for the third and beloved wife of the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal, on the banks of the Jumna River in Agra. Despite the large harem, the emperor loved Mumtaz Mahal most of all. She bore him thirteen children, and died in 1631, when the fourteenth was born. The ruler grieved greatly after the death of his beloved wife, so he ordered the most skilled craftsmen of that time to be gathered to create a mausoleum that would become a symbol of his boundless love for Mumtaz. Construction began in 1632 and lasted over 20 years: the main complex was completed by 1648, and the secondary buildings and garden were completed five years later. The original “prototypes” of this grandiose tomb were Guri-Amir - the mausoleum of Tamerlane, the founder of the dynasty of Mughal rulers, located in Samarkand, the Jama Masjid mosque in Delhi, as well as the tomb of Humayun - one of the Mughal rulers.
Architectural miracle
The Taj Mahal is designed in the traditional Persian style and is a complex of luxurious and majestic structures built of white marble. The main place in it is occupied by the mausoleum itself, located in the center of the site. It has the shape of a cube with “cut” corners and is topped with a huge dome. The structure stands on a square “pedestal”, at the four corners of which there are tall minarets. The mausoleum inside has a large number of rooms and halls, decorated with amazing mosaics, painted with subtle patterns and ornate ornaments. The coffin of Mumtaz Mahal is located in one of these rooms. And next to him is the coffin of Shah Jahan himself, who wished after his death to be buried next to his beloved. Initially, the ruler was going to build an exact copy of the tomb on the other side of the Jumna for himself, only from black marble, but he was unable to bring his idea to life, so he bequeathed to be buried in the Taj Mahal next to his wife. But it is worth noting that both of these coffins are empty, and the real burial place is in an underground crypt.
Initially, the mausoleum was decorated with a huge number of precious and semi-precious stones, pearls, and its main door was made of pure silver. But, unfortunately, to this day all these treasures have practically not survived, having “settled” in the pockets of not very honest “tourists”.
The Taj Mahal is surrounded on three sides by a beautiful park, the gate to which is also an architectural masterpiece. Roads running along a wide canal lead through the park to the main entrance. And on both sides of the mausoleum there are two mosques.
Translated from Persian, “Taj Mahal” means “crown of all palaces.” And it truly is “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the internationally recognized masterpieces of the world’s heritage.”
Taj Mahal was listed World Heritage UNESCO in 1983.
It is also worth noting that tourists are officially allowed to photograph the Taj Mahal only from one side - opposite the main entrance.
On a note
- Location: Agra city, 200 km from Delhi.
- How to get there: by train or express train to the railway station "Agra Cantt."
- Official website: www.tajmahal.gov.in
- Opening hours: daily from 6.00 to 19.00, except Friday. Two days before and two days after the full moon, the mausoleum is open in the evening hours - from 20.30 to midnight.
- Tickets: foreigners - 750 rupees, local residents- 20 rupees, children under 15 years old - free. Tickets for night visits must be purchased one day in advance.
The Taj Mahal Mausoleum is located in the city of Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Exactly this famous building in India and the symbol of the country is an amazing and also the most durable monument of Indian Muslim architecture from the era of the reign of the Great Mughals. Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore called the Taj Mahal "a tear on the cheek of eternity."
In 1983, the Taj Mahal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In addition, the mausoleum is included in the international list of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Every year this beautiful architectural ensemble is visited by several million tourists.
Creation story - love story
The Taj Mahal, often called the “symbol of love,” was built in the 17th century on the banks of the Yamuna River by Emperor Shah Jahan, a descendant of Tamerlane, to celebrate and perpetuate the memory of his beloved wife, who died in childbirth.
Shah Jahan, who was the fifth Mughal Emperor, left behind many famous architectural landmarks. These are the Pearl Mosque in Agra, the capital Shahjahanabad (now old Delhi, including the Lal Qila or Red Fort in Delhi with the beautiful halls of the Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas halls, as well as the Great Mosque of Jama Masjid) and the famous golden throne of the Mughals — The Peacock Throne, rightfully recognized as the most luxurious throne in the whole world.
However, the splendor of the Taj Mahal Palace remained unsurpassed, and it was this building that forever immortalized the names of the emperor and his beloved.
Shah Jahan, who was called the “Emperor of the Universe” after a series of successful military campaigns that expanded the borders of the Mughal Empire, had several wives. His third wife, a 19-year-old beauty, was given the name Mumtaz Mahal by his father-in-law during the wedding ceremony, which means “Pearl of the Palace.”
The ruler fell in love with Mumtaz very much and she accompanied him on all military campaigns. The emperor's relations with the rest of his wives were purely formal, but with Mumtaz he was united by deep, sincere affection. Over 19 years of marriage, the beloved gave the ruler 14 children. However, the last birth that took place during the campaign became fatal for the woman.
It is said that Shah Jahan promised his dying wife that he would build a beautiful mausoleum for her. However, he did not immediately begin to implement his plan. The first year after the death of his beloved, the emperor grieved and spent all his time in solitude.
When the inconsolable widower ended his seclusion, his subjects did not recognize him - the ruler grew old, gray and hunched over. The palace chroniclers testified that Shah Jahan stopped listening to music and abandoned jewelry and elegant clothes.
Automobile
The city of Agra is located in the so-called Golden Tourist Triangle; this region is distinguished by an extensive network of roads. Agra connects to Delhi and Varanasi highway NH-2, with Jaipur - NH-11, and with Gwalior - NH-3.
Distances from Agra to other cities:
- Bharatpur - 57 km;
- Delhi - 204 km;
- Gwalior - 119 km;
- Jaipur - 232 km;
- Kanpur - 296 km;
- Khajuraho - 400 km;
- Lucknow - 369 km;
- Mathura - 56 km;
- Varanasi - 605 km.
Parking
The closest parking to the Taj Mahal is at the Shilpgram Cultural and Art Complex.
From Agra to the Taj Mahal
You can get around Agra by Taxi(Uber, Ola), excursion mini-bus “tempo”, auto or pedicabs. You can order a prepaid taxi from the Agra Cantonment main station.
Vehicles with internal combustion engines are prohibited within 500 m from the Taj Mahal, so as not to spoil the whiteness of the palace walls. Therefore, you can drive up to the mausoleum by electric car or rickshaw, but the last 200 meters must be covered only on foot.
Taj Mahal: Google Panorama
Taj Mahal: Google panorama inside the building
Video about the Taj Mahal / National Geographic
The girl that the Indian Prince Jahan once saw in the market was so beautiful that he immediately brought her to the palace, making her his beloved wife: Mumtaz Mahal managed to captivate her husband so much that he did not look at other women until her death. At the same time, she did not sit at home, always accompanied him on military campaigns and was the only person in the world whom he trusted and with whom he often consulted.
This gives grounds to assert that the story that Mumtaz was of plebeian origin is a myth far from reality. In fact, she had a noble origin, was the daughter of a vizier and was a distant relative of Jahan’s mother, and therefore received an extremely good education (otherwise the young woman would hardly have been able to give constructive advice).
They lived together for about seventeen years, during which time Mumtaz gave birth to fourteen children to her husband, and died during the birth of the last child. First, she was buried in the city in which she died, in Burhan Noor, and six months later her remains were transported to one of the most prosperous cities in India, Agra. It was here that the inconsolable widower decided to build a tomb for his wife, which was supposed to be worthy of Mumtaz in beauty and would tell descendants a story of incredible love by its very appearance.
It was decided almost immediately in which city to build the Taj Mahal mausoleum (“taj” means “crown”, “mahal” means “palace”): the suburb of Agra, one of the most beautiful and developed cities in India, located on the banks of the river, was best suited for this way. To be able to build a mosque on the chosen territory, Shah Jahan had to exchange this site for a palace located in the center of Agra.
He did not have to regret this: this area near the city was not only extremely beautiful and picturesque, but also turned out to be seismically resistant - in the years following the completion of construction work, earthquakes failed to cause serious damage to the structure.
The main building was designed by Turkish architect Ismail Afandi from the Ottoman Empire, and his compatriot Usatad Isa is considered the creator of the architectural image of the monument - it was their designs that Jahan liked most. The choice of the ruler turned out to be successful: the erected Taj Mahal (Agra) turned out to be one of the most outstanding monuments in the world, successfully combining the styles of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles, and was recently recognized as one of the wonders of the world.
Construction of the tomb
Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and construction lasted twenty-one years (the tomb was completed ten years earlier). To build this unique complex, more than 20 thousand workers from all over India, as well as architects, artists, and sculptors from nearby countries, were involved in the construction work.
An area near the city (Agra) measuring 1.2 hectares was dug up, after which, in order to reduce the flowability of the soil, the soil was replaced. The level of the site planned for the construction of the mosque was raised 50 meters above the shore level. After this, the workers dug wells and filled them with rubble stone, thus obtaining a foundation, which was also supposed to act as a kind of cushion during earthquakes and would prevent the complex from collapsing.
Interesting fact: instead of bamboo scaffolding, the architects decided to use brick scaffolding: it was easier to work with heavy marble. The stone scaffolding looked so impressive that the architects were afraid that it would take several years to dismantle it. Jahan found a way out of the situation by announcing that any resident of Agra could pick up the required number of bricks - and the scaffolding was dismantled in a few days.
To deliver building materials to the mosque, the Hindus built a gently sloping earthen platform along which oxen dragged luggage located on specially designed carts. They were delivered to the city from all over India (and not only). The most important building material, white marble, was brought to the city from Makrana and Rajasthan, which were located 300 km from Agra.
The marble blocks were raised to the required height using special devices. The water needed for construction work was first extracted from the river, after which it was poured into a reservoir, from where it rose into a special reservoir and was sent through pipes to the construction site.
Architectural complex
All buildings architectural complex Taj Mahal, Agra from a geometric point of view were extremely carefully planned. The central building of the complex is a mausoleum that tells the story of the love story of the ruling couple of India. This wonder of the world is surrounded on three sides by jagged walls built from red sandstone, thus leaving it open for viewing only from the river side.
The Taj Mahal tomb, Agra, is surrounded by several more tombs in which other wives of the ruler were buried (they were also built from red sandstone, which was often used in the construction of crypts of that time). Not far from the main mausoleum is the Music House (now there is a museum there).
The main gate, like the main building, is made of marble, the entrance is decorated with an openwork white portico, on top there is an eleventh dome, on the sides there are two towers with white domes. On both sides of the central tomb, two large structures were built from red sandstone: the building on the left was used by the residents of Agra as a mosque, and the building on the right served as a boarding house. They were built for balance - so that during an earthquake nothing would collapse.
In front of the mausoleum there is a luxurious park, the length of which is 300 meters. In the middle of the park, there is an irrigation canal lined with marble, in the center of which a pool was built, in which the mausoleum is completely reflected (paths lead from it to the four minarets).
According to descriptions of eyewitnesses, in former times Agra and its park amazed with the abundance of vegetation: roses, daffodils, and a huge number of garden trees grew here. After India came under British Empire, its appearance changed significantly - and it began to resemble an ordinary English lawn.
What does the tomb look like?
The main structure of this architectural complex, located in the city of Agra, is the Taj Mahal mausoleum, built of white marble. It is best viewed from the river, since there is no wall on this side.
It looks especially gorgeous at dawn: the tomb is reflected in the water, creating the illusion of unreality and, if you look at it from the opposite bank, you get the impression that this miracle is floating in the pre-dawn fog, and the rays that appear create an amazing play of colors on the walls.
Such airiness and a feeling of “floating” are given to the mausoleum primarily by unusual proportions, when the height of the building has the same dimensions as its width, as well as a huge dome, which seems to carry with it the smaller elements of the structure - four small domes and minarets.
The Taj Mahal Mausoleum, Agra tells the world the beautiful love story between Jahan and Mumtaz Maha and is of incredible beauty. The height and width of the mausoleum is 74 meters. The facade of the tomb is square in shape, with semicircular niches built into it, giving the massive building a weightless appearance. The mausoleum is crowned by a 35-meter-high marble dome, shaped like an onion.
The top of the dome is decorated with a month, the horns of which are directed upward (until the 19th century it was gold, and then it was replaced by an exact copy made of bronze).
At the corners of the tomb, emphasizing the shape of the main dome, there are four smaller vaults, completely repeating its shape. At the corners of the mausoleum, at a slight inclination in the direction opposite to the tomb, there are four gilded towers (minarets) about 50 m high (the inclination was provided at the early stage of construction work so that if they fell, they could not damage the main structure).
The walls of the Taj Mahal (Agra) are painted with a fine pattern and built of white marble with gems inserted into it (28 types of precious stones in total). Especially many decorative elements can be seen on pedestals, gates, mosques, as well as at the bottom of the mausoleum.
Thanks to the unique marble, the mausoleum looks different throughout the day: during the day the tomb is white, at dawn it is pink, and on a moonlit night it becomes silver. Previously, the entrance doors were made of pure silver, but later, like many other valuable decorative elements, they were stolen (by whom - history is silent).
Inside view
The inside of the Taj Mahal (city of Agra) looks no less remarkable than the outside. The entrance to the mausoleum is decorated with a gallery with elegant columns. The hall inside the tomb is an octagon, which can be entered from any side of the tomb (now this can only be done from the park). Inside the hall, behind a marble screen, there are two sarcophagi made of white marble, which in reality are false tombs, since the graves themselves are located under the floor.
On the lid of the sarcophagus of the ruler's wife there are inscriptions praising her. The only asymmetrical element in the entire complex is Jahan’s sarcophagus, which was installed after his death: the ruler’s coffin is slightly larger than his wife’s coffin. The height of the walls inside the building is 25 m, and the ceiling decorated with the sun is made in the form of an internal dome.
The entire space inside the hall is divided by eight arches, above which you can read quotes from the Koran. The four middle arches form balconies with windows through which light enters the hall (besides these windows, the sun's rays enter the room through special openings in the roof). You can climb to the second floor of the mausoleum via one of two side staircases. The walls inside the tomb are everywhere decorated with mosaics made of gems, which form various symbols, plants, flowers, letters.
Death of Jahan
After the completion of the construction of the Taj Mahal, Agra, the ruler’s son, Aurangzeb, overthrew his father from the throne and put him in prison, in which the former ruler spent several years (according to one of the legends, its windows overlooked the tomb of his beloved wife, which he built).
After Jahan's death, the son fulfilled his father's will and buried him next to his wife. This is how the love story ended, imprinting its memory for centuries in a unique building that still stands today.
