The Taj Mahal (lit. 'Crown of the Palace'), is an Islamic ivory-white marble
mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra.
It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628–1658) to
house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of
Shah Jahan himself.
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
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. Various types of symbolism have been employed in the Taj to reflect
natural beauty and divinity.
The Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture
and a symbol of India's rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts more than 6
million visitors a year and in 2007, it was declared a winner of the New 7
Wonders of the World (2000–2007) initiative.
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Approaching the Taj Mahal.
Polluting traffic is not allowed near the complex and tourists must
either walk from parking areas or catch an electric bus.
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Walking to the Forecourt (Jilaukhana).
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The sun is rising.
The building appears to slightly change color depending on the time of
day and the weather.
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Main Gateway (Darwaza).
The main gateway is here to be seen from the southeast.
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Main Gateway (Darwaza).
The Main Gateway (Darwaza) is a monumental structure built primarily of
marble, and reminiscent of the Mughal architecture of earlier emperors.
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Its archways mirror the shape of the tomb's archways, and its
pishtaq arches incorporate the calligraphy that decorates the
tomb.
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It utilises bas-relief and pietra dura inlaid decorations with floral
motifs.
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The vaulted ceilings and walls have elaborate geometric designs like
those found in the other sandstone buildings in the complex.
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Taj Mahal Plan.
The planning and structure of the Taj Mahal, from the building itself to
the gardens and beyond, is symbolic of Mumtaz Mahal's mansion in the
garden of Paradise.
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The Taj seen from the Main Gate.
Symbolic of Islamic teachings, the plan of the worldly side is a mirror
image of the otherworldly side, and the main gate in the middle
represents the transition between the two worlds.
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Taj Mahal shrouded in morning fog.
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Walkways beside reflecting pool.
The complex is set around a large 300 m (980 ft) square charbagh or
Mughal garden.
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The garden uses raised pathways that divide each of the four-quarters
of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds.
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Tank of Abundance (Hawd al-Kawthar).
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.
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The elevated marble water tank is called al Hawd al-Kawthar in
reference to the "Tank of Abundance" promised to Muhammad.
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Taj Mahal from the west.
The river is on the left and the garden is on the right.
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South wall and Great Gate.
The exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are among the finest in Mughal
architecture. As the surface area changes, the decorations are refined
proportionally.
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The decorative elements were created by applying paint, stucco, stone
inlays or carvings.
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In line with the Islamic prohibition against the use of
anthropomorphic forms, the decorative elements can be grouped into
either calligraphy, abstract forms or vegetative motifs.
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Throughout the complex are passages from the Qur'an that comprise some
of the decorative elements.
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The calligraphy on the Great Gate reads "O Soul, thou art at rest.
Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you."
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Flowers carved in marble.
On the lower walls of the tomb are white marble dados sculpted with
realistic bas relief depictions of flowers and vines.
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The marble has been polished to emphasise the exquisite detailing of
the carvings.
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Yamuna River.
The Taj Mahal garden is unusual in that the main element, the tomb, is
located at the end of the garden. With the discovery of Mahtab Bagh or
"Moonlight Garden" on the other side of the Yamuna, the interpretation
of the Archaeological Survey of India is that the Yamuna river itself
was incorporated into the garden's design and was meant to be seen as
one of the rivers of Paradise.
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Guesthouse (top) and Mosque (bottom).
At the far end of the complex are two grand red sandstone buildings that
mirror each other, and face the sides of the tomb. The backs of the
buildings parallel the western and eastern walls.
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The western building is a mosque and the other is the jawab (answer),
thought to have been constructed for architectural balance although it
may have been used as a guesthouse.
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Distinctions between the two buildings include the jawab's lack of a
mihrab (a niche in a mosque's wall facing Mecca), and its floors of
geometric design whereas the floor of the mosque is laid with outlines
of 569 prayer rugs in black marble.
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The mosque's basic design of a long hall surmounted by three domes is
similar to others built by Shah Jahan.
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The Mughal mosques of this period divide the sanctuary hall into three
areas comprising a main sanctuary and slightly smaller sanctuaries on
either side. At the Taj Mahal, each sanctuary opens onto an expansive
vaulting dome.
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East wall of the Taj Mahal.
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Taj Mahal seen from the southeast.
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A squirrel on a tree in the garden.
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Taj Mahal seen from the south.
The charbagh garden, a design inspired by Persian gardens, symbolises
the four flowing rivers of Jannah (Paradise) and reflects the Paradise
garden derived from the Persian paridaeza, meaning 'walled garden.'
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In mystic Islamic texts of the Mughal period, Paradise is described as
an ideal garden of abundance with four rivers flowing from a central
spring or mountain, separating the garden into north, west, south and
east.
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Main Gateway (Darwaza).
The main gateway is here to be seen from the north.
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See also
Source
Location
