India's glory - 'Taj Mehal'

Taj Mahal, India

The Taj Mahal is the epitome of Mughal art and one of the most famous buildings in the world.

The tomb is the representation of the house of the queen in Paradise, and  its setting was based on the palace gardens of the great nobles that lined both sides of the river at Agra India.

Epic Taj Mahal

You will explore the entire complex of the Taj Mahal with an explanation of each building and an account of the mausoleum's urban setting, its design and construction, its symbolic meaning, and its history up to the present day.

Taj mahal was built in 22 years (1631-1653) with the orders of Shah Jahan and it was dedicated to Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Bano Begum), the wife of Shah. 20.000 workers labored and 32 crore rupees were spent during the construction of the monument and it was built according to Islamic architecture.

According to another myth a number of items such as diamonds, a gold leaf which covered the part of the dome, a pearl blanket etc that were originally a part of the Taj were stolen.

 It is also told that Shah Jahan got the hands of his sculptors and architects cut off so that they would never be able to build a monument as magnificent and beautiful as the Taj again and he even got their eyes pulled out so that they would never be able to witness anything bigger and more beautiful than the monument that they had built during their lifetime.

The paradise-like garden is the very impressing part of the complex. The square garden is divided into four parts with two main walkways. Each of these four parts is also divided into four with narrower walkways, therefore, creating sixteen squares. The canal including a line of fountains passes in-between the main walkway. It is lined with sandstone strips and geometrical stars and then followed by larger sandstone walkway with typical Mogul geometrical designs. The north-south walkway connects the great gate to the mausoleum while the two pavilions are connected through the east-west walkway.

The four minarets standing on the corners of the platform of the Mausoleum expressed as the stairs to the foot of the sky. The use of minarets dates back to the 17th century with probably the influence of the Ottoman architecture. The mosques of the Ottoman sultans were surrounded by minarets and the numbers of minarets were signifying the rank of the mosque. However, the decoration of the minarets of the Taj Mahal is rather unique than the others. The curved marble blocks are lined with black stones. 

The minarets are finished by a chhatris with a crescent on the top. The three balconies are reached by the rectangular doors. The grilled windows are intended for the light. The minarets are not accessible for the visitors.The four minarets standing on the corners of the platform of the Mausoleum expressed as the stairs to the foot of the sky. The use of minarets dates back to the 17th century with probably the influence of the Ottoman architecture. The mosques of the Ottoman sultans were surrounded by minarets and the numbers of minarets were signifying the rank of the mosque. However, the decoration of the minarets of the Taj Mahal is rather unique than the others. The curved marble blocks are lined with black stones. 

The minarets are finished by a chhatris with a crescent on the top.

The three balconies are reached by the rectangular doors. The grilled windows are intended for the light. The minarets are not accessible for the visitors.