Monday, October 7, 2013

Taj Mahal Monument in Agra, India

Taj Mahal
Monument in Agra, India

Taj Mahal
Monument in Agra, India

Taj Mahal
Monument in Agra, India

Taj Mahal
Monument in Agra, India

Taj Mahal
Monument in Agra, India

Taj Mahal
Monument in Agra, India

Taj Mahal
Monument in Agra, India





Taj Mahal
Monument in Agra, India
Location Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Coordinates 27.174799°N 78.042111°E
Elevation 171 m (561 ft)
Built 1632–1653[1]
Architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri
Architectural style(s) Mughal architecture
Visitation More than 3 million (in 2003)

Type Cultural
Criteria i
Designated 1983 (7th session)
Reference No. 252
State Party India
 
The Taj Mahal (/ˈtɑː məˈhɑːl/ often /ˈtɑːʒ/;[2] Hindi: ताज महल, from Persian/Urdu: تاج محل‎ "crown of palaces", pronounced [ˈt̪aːdʒ mɛˈɦɛl]; also "the Taj"[3]) is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".[4]
Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian and Indian architectural styles.[5][6]
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen.[7] The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan
In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum.[13] Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632.[14] The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal.[15][16] The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later. Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words:[17]

Shah Jahan, who commissioned the Taj Mahal -"Shah jahan on a globe" from the Smithsonian Institution

Artistic depiction of Mumtaz Mahal
Taj Mahal site plan.
  1. The Moonlight Garden to the north of the Yamuna.
  2. Terrace area: Tomb, Mosque and Jawab.
  3. Charbagh (gardens).
  4. Gateway, attendant accommodations, and other tombs.
  5. Taj Ganji (bazaar)
Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory.
The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian architecture and earlier Mughal architecture. Specific inspiration came from successful Timurid and Mughal buildings including; the Gur-e Amir (the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in Samarkand),[18] Humayun's Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb (sometimes called the Baby Taj), and Shah Jahan's own Jama Masjid in Delhi. While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones, and buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement.[19]

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