Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal ultimately from Arabic, "crown of palaces", 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". Taj Mahal is
regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that
combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian
architectural styles. 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. 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, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is
generally considered to be the principal designer.
Origin and Inspiration
In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest
prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Persian
princess, died during the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum.
Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The court chronicles of Shah
Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration
for Taj Mahal. 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:
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), 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.
Tomb
The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. This
large, white marble structure stands on a square plinth and consists of a
symmetrical building with an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large
dome and finial. Like most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in
origin.
The base structure is essentially a large, multi-chambered cube with
chamfered corners, forming an unequal octagon that is approximately 55
metres (180 ft) on each of the four long sides. On each of these sides, a
huge pishtaq, or vaulted archway, frames the iwan with two similarly shaped,
arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is
replicated on the chamfered corner areas, making the design completely
symmetrical on all sides of the building. Four minarets frame the tomb, one
at each corner of the plinth facing the chamfered corners. The main chamber
houses the false sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; the actual
graves are at a lower level.
The marble dome that surmounts the tomb is the most spectacular feature. Its
height of around 35 metres (115 ft) is about the same as the length of the
base, and is accentuated as it sits on a cylindrical "drum" which is roughly
7 metres (23 ft) high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an
onion dome or amrud (guava dome).
The top is decorated with a lotus design, which also serves to accentuate
its height. The shape of the dome is emphasised by four smaller domed
chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners, which replicate the onion shape of
the main dome. Their columned bases open through the roof of the tomb and
provide light to the interior. Tall decorative spires (guldastas) extend
from edges of base walls, and provide visual emphasis to the height of the
dome. The lotus motif is repeated on both the chattris and guldastas. The
dome and chattris are topped by a gilded finial, which mixes traditional
Persian and Hindustani decorative elements.
The main finial was originally made of gold but was replaced by a copy made
of gilded bronze in the early 19th century. This feature provides a clear
example of integration of traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements.
The finial is topped by a moon, a typical Islamic motif whose horns point
heavenward. Because of its placement on the main spire, the horns of the
moon and the finial point combine to create a trident shape, reminiscent of
traditional Hindu symbols of Shiva. The minarets, which are each more than
40 metres (130 ft) tall, display the designer's penchant for symmetry.
They were designed as working minarets - a traditional element of mosques,
used by the muezzin to call the Islamic faithful to prayer. Each minaret is
effectively divided into three equal parts by two working balconies that
ring the tower. At the top of the tower is a final balcony surmounted by a
chattri that mirrors the design of those on the tomb. The chattris all share
the same decorative elements of a lotus design topped by a gilded finial.
The minarets were constructed slightly outside of the plinth so that, in the
event of collapse, (a typical occurrence with many tall constructions of the
period) the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb.
Sources: Wikipedia
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