"The Taj Mahal is a true love story brought to life as a building. "
Background
![Picture](/uploads/3/0/7/5/30756593/5938279.jpg?395)
The Taj Mahal of Agra is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, for reasons more than just looking magnificent. It's the history of Taj Mahal that adds a soul to its magnificence: a soul that is filled with love, loss, remorse, and love again
Arjumand Bano Begum was christened by Shah Jahan as Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the “Chosen One Of The Palace” or “Jewel of the Palace”.
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."
- it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. The monument was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees (approx US $68000), Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653. It took 17 years to be completed.
-It is generally believed that "Taj Mahal" (usually translated as either "Crown Palace" or "Crown of the Palace") is an abbreviated version of her name, Mumtaz Mahal.
-The full height of the Taj Mahal is 171 metres (561 feet).
-The Taj Mahal takes on different colouring at different times of the day, from a pinkish hue in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden at night when lit by the moon. They say the changing colour resembles the changing mood of females - in particular the Emperor's queen.
Arjumand Bano Begum was christened by Shah Jahan as Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the “Chosen One Of The Palace” or “Jewel of the Palace”.
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."
- it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. The monument was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees (approx US $68000), Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653. It took 17 years to be completed.
-It is generally believed that "Taj Mahal" (usually translated as either "Crown Palace" or "Crown of the Palace") is an abbreviated version of her name, Mumtaz Mahal.
-The full height of the Taj Mahal is 171 metres (561 feet).
-The Taj Mahal takes on different colouring at different times of the day, from a pinkish hue in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden at night when lit by the moon. They say the changing colour resembles the changing mood of females - in particular the Emperor's queen.
Location
Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India
Why Agra, India ?
The location for Taj Mahal was clearly a well thought out decision by Shah Jahan who chose a peaceful site about one and a half miles away from Agra at the southern edge of the city at the banks of river Yamuna. This location also had a strategic importance for the emperor, as it could be seen from his palace in the Agra Fort. The closeness to the river Yamuna not only gave this location a scenic edge, but also met the need for water during construction purposes and laying out the garden
The Creator
![Picture](/uploads/3/0/7/5/30756593/5638918.jpg?507)
The construction of this marble masterpiece is credited to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the son of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir and grandson of Akbar the Great, who erected this mausoleum in the memory of his beloved wife.
-Shah Jahan had his minions cut off the hands of the Taj Mahal's architect and his workers after the structure was completed, ensuring they would never build another of its kind.
-Shah Jahan had his minions cut off the hands of the Taj Mahal's architect and his workers after the structure was completed, ensuring they would never build another of its kind.
Influence and inspiration
The love story
An example of how deeply a man loved his wife, that even after she remained but a memory, he made sure that this memory would never fade away...
This man was the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who was head-over-heels in love with Mumtaz Mahal, his dear wife. She was a Muslim Persian princess (her name Arjumand Banu Begum before marriage) It was at the age of 14 that he met Mumtaz and fell in love with her. Five years later in the year 1612, they got married.
Mumtaz Mahal died in AH 1040 (AD 1630). Her last wish to her husband was "to build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before". Thus emperor Shah Jahan set about building this fairytale like marvel.
The Taj Mahal was named in honor of Mumtaz Mahal, the king’s wife.
Mumtaz Mahal died in AH 1040 (AD 1630). Her last wish to her husband was "to build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before". Thus emperor Shah Jahan set about building this fairytale like marvel.
The Taj Mahal was named in honor of Mumtaz Mahal, the king’s wife.
![Picture](/uploads/3/0/7/5/30756593/1029662.jpg?545)
Her last wish to her husband was "to build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before".
Architectural style influence
the Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture which flourished in India during the medieval period. The Islamic style of architecture is also referred to as the Indo-Islamic style of architecture.
It is a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles.
-The four sides of the Taj Mahal are perfectly identical creating an astonishingly mirrored image on each side. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and symmetry of architectural elements.
Different types of marbles used in construction of Taj Mahal were brought over from many different regions & countries: Rajasthan, Punjab, China, Tibet, Afghanistan, Srilanka, & Arabia.
-The four sides of the Taj Mahal are perfectly identical creating an astonishingly mirrored image on each side. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and symmetry of architectural elements.
Different types of marbles used in construction of Taj Mahal were brought over from many different regions & countries: Rajasthan, Punjab, China, Tibet, Afghanistan, Srilanka, & Arabia.
References
http://tajmahal.nuvvo.com/lesson/6001-seven-wonders-of-the-world-taj-mahal
http://www.destinationsindia.com/taj-mahal/taj-mahal-architecture.html
http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/history.html
http://www.tajmahalindia.net/history-of-taj-mahal.html
http://www.lilburnes.org/Students/Media2/Taj_Mahal/index.html
http://www.tucantravel.com/travel-highlights/10-interesting-facts-about-taj-mahal
http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/taj-mahal-facts.html
http://www.destinationsindia.com/taj-mahal/taj-mahal-architecture.html
http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/history.html
http://www.tajmahalindia.net/history-of-taj-mahal.html
http://www.lilburnes.org/Students/Media2/Taj_Mahal/index.html
http://www.tucantravel.com/travel-highlights/10-interesting-facts-about-taj-mahal
http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/taj-mahal-facts.html