Taj
Mahal
The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan in
1631, to be built in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal,
Construction started in 1632 and the mausoleum was completed in 1643,
while the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years
later. The imperial court documenting Shah Jahan's grief after the death
of Mumtaz Mahal illustrates the love story
held as the inspiration for the Taj Mahal.
History
The Taj
Mahal meaning "Crown of the Palaces" is an
ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river
in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal
emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned from 1628 to 1658), to
house the tomb of
his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It also houses the tomb of Shah
Jahan, the builder. The tomb is the centerpiece 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.
The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". It is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India's rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year and in 2007, it was declared a winner of the New7Wonders of the World (2000–2007) initiative.
The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions
of Persian 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. Buildings under his
patronage reached new levels of refinement. The base structure is a large multi-chambered cube
with chamfered corners
forming an unequal eight-sided structure that is approximately 55 metres (180 ft)
on each of the four long sides. Each side of the iwan is framed with a
huge pishtaq or
vaulted archway 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.
Architecture
The most spectacular feature is the marble dome that surmounts the tomb. The dome is nearly 35 metres (115 ft) high which is close in measurement to the length of the base, and accentuated by the cylindrical "drum" it sits on which is approximately 7 metres (23 ft) high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion domeor 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. The dome is slightly asymmetrical. 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 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.
