Taj Mahal – a crown jewel in the world of architecture
The luxurious silhouette of Taj Mahal will charm you regardless of the time of the day – with a pinkish tint in the morning, white in the evening and gold in moonlight. Taj Mahal will simply leave you breathless.
The story of the Taj Mahal mausoleum
“Taj Mahal is an embodiment of everything pure, holy and sad”, claimed writer Rudyard Kipling.
Shah Jahan was a Mughal emperor, and as such had a harem full of beautiful women. However, one of them was special and Shah Jahan loved her with a passion. She was named Mumtaz Mahal, the pearl of the palace. She tragically died after her 14th childbirth in 1629, and the emperor’s heart was broken. It is said that he did not eat and drink for 8 days after her death, and only stayed in his chambers. He ordered national mourning for 2 years, forbade people from playing music and wearing happy clothes. Women were not allowed to wear jewelry or use perfume.
Shah Jahan decided to build a luxurious mausoleum, one that would be worthy to represent the beauty of his loved one. And so, after 22 years of hard work, Taj Mahal was completed in the city of Agra; it was a symbol of devotion of a man to a woman, and its beauty fascinates mankind to this day.
20,000 workers and 1,000 elephants
A total of 20,000 workers contributed to the perfectly symmetrical mausoleum and 1,000 elephants were used to transport the rare marble that was used in its construction – mined at a distance of 300 km from the construction site. Other luxurious materials traveled to Agra from even greater distances: turquoise from Persia and Tibet, malachite from Russia and Carnelian from Baghdad. The construction project also used a large amount of silver and 500 kg of gold.
A luxurious building without equal in the world
Taj Mahal represents a complex of several buildings constructed from the most exclusive materials such as marble, gemstones and red sandstone used to construct two mosques.
The mausoleum proper lies at the center, forming an octagon with a crescent moon at its peak – an integral part of every Muslim building. External decorations consist of luxurious calligraphy and flower as well as abstract motives. The building is unique thanks to its semi-translucent marble, which makes the building look like it’s shining in a full moon. The Taj Mahal has walls made of red sandstone from 3 sides; behind the wall, we find the tombs of servants and other wives.
The most beautiful example of Persian gardens
The mausoleum is decorated by 4 minarets, each 40 meters tall and with two balconies. Around the building we’ll find a beautiful garden, one of the most beautiful examples of Persian gardens. These are square-shaped with a side length of 300 meters, filled with marble pathways. The luxurious gardens have a multitude of waterways and basins mirroring the crown jewel of the whole complex - Taj Mahal itself.
It is said that Shah Jahan wanted to build the same building for himself on the other side of the river, in black – one that would be connected to the mausoleum of his wife. However, fate had different plans – the monarch got ill, was dethroned by his own son and buried next to his wife.
