The Tajmahal

The Taj Mahal meaning Crown of the Palace is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank
of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor,
Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658), to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is
the centrepiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is
set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.

Construction of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643 but work continued on other phases
of the project for another 10 years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its
entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be
approximately 52.8 billion rupees (US$827 million). The construction project employed some 20,000
artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by the court architect to the emperor, Ustad
Ahmad Lahauri.

The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of
Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".
Described by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as "the tear-drop on the cheek of time", it is
regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India's rich history. The
Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year. In 2007, it was declared a winner of the New7Wonders of
the World (2000–2007) initiative.

A short HIstory:

The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1631, to be built in the memory of his wife Mumtaz
Mahal, a Persian princess who died giving birth to their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. Construction of
the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The imperial court documenting Shah Jahan's grief after the death of
Mumtaz Mahal illustrate the love story held as the inspiration for Taj Mahal.The principal mausoleum
was completed in 1643 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished about five years later.

The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian and earlier Mughal
architecture.

Its main focus is the tomb.The most spectacular feature is the marble dome that surmounts the tomb.
The dome is nearly 35 metres (115 ft) high which is close in measurement to the length of the base,
and accentuated by the cylindrical "drum" it sits on which is approximately 7 metres (23 ft) high.
Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion dome or amrud (guava dome) .The minarets,
which are each more than 40 metres (130 ft) tall, display the designer's penchant for symmetry.The
exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are among the finest in Mughal architecture. As the surface area
changes, the decorations are refined proportionally. The decorative elements were created by
applying paint, stucco, stone inlays or carvings.Tthe decorative elements can be grouped into either
calligraphy, abstract forms or vegetative motifs. Throughout the complex are passages from the
Qur'an that comprise some of the decorative elements.On the lower walls of the tomb are white
marble dados sculpted with realistic bas relief depictions of flowers and vines. The marble has been
polished to emphasise the exquisite detailing of the carvings.

The interior chamber of the Taj Mahal reaches far beyond traditional decorative elements. The inner
chamber is an octagon with the design allowing for entry from each face, although only the door
facing the garden to the south is used. The interior walls are about 25 metres (82 ft) high.

The complex is set around a large 300-metre (980 ft) square charbagh or Mughal garden. The garden
uses raised pathways that divide each of the four quarters of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or
flowerbeds. Halfway between the tomb and gateway in the centre of the garden is a raised marble
water tank with a reflecting pool positioned on a north-south axis to reflect the image of the
mausoleum. The raised marble water tank is called al Hawd al-Kawthar in reference to the "Tank of
Abundance" promised to Muhammad.

The Taj Mahal complex is bordered on three sides by crenellated red sandstone walls; the side facing
the river is open. Outside the walls are several additional mausoleums, including those of Shah Jahan's
other wives, and a larger tomb for Mumtaz's favourite servant.

Construction:

The Taj Mahal is built on a parcel of land to the south of the walled city of Agra. Shah Jahan presented
Maharajah Jai Singh with a large palace in the centre of Agra in exchange for the land.[37] An area of
roughly 1.2 hectares (3 acres) was excavated, filled with dirt to reduce seepage, and levelled at 50
metres (160 ft) above riverbank. In the tomb area, wells were dug and filled with stone and rubble to
form the footings of the tomb. Instead of lashed bamboo, workmen constructed a colossal brick
scaffold that mirrored the tomb. The scaffold was so enormous that foremen estimated it would take
years to dismantle.

The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia. It is believed over 1,000
elephants were used to transport building materials. The translucent white marble was brought from
Makrana, Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from
Tibet and the Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, while the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the carnelian
from Arabia. In all, twenty-eight types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white
marble.

Tourist attraction:

The Taj Mahal attracts a large number of tourists. UNESCO documented more than 2 million visitors in
2001,[55] which had increased to about 7–8 million in 2014.[2] A two-tier pricing system is in place,
with a significantly lower entrance fee for Indian citizens and a more expensive one for foreigners.
Most tourists visit in the cooler months of October, November and February. Polluting traffic is not
allowed near the complex and tourists must either walk from parking lots or catch an electric bus. The
Khawasspuras (northern courtyards) are currently being restored for use as a new visitor centre.[56]
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