India in stone: the great Taj Mahal! Taj Mahal: interesting facts, stories, circumstances

The Taj Mahal is probably the most famous and most attractive tourist site in India. And it’s clear why - he’s stunningly handsome. He is a miracle. Many people want to see it, and from 3 to 5 million tourists visit it every year. Although from a formal point of view, the Taj Mahal represents not Indian, but Persian architecture. But it was he who became business card India.

As you know, the Taj Mahal was built by order of the padishah of the Mughal Empire, Shah Jahan, in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 14 births.

Yes, in today’s times I wouldn’t give birth to this child; there are already more than enough children. And they would live happily ever after.

But who then would have known about the 3rd wife of the fifth Mughal padishah. And so the inconsolable Shah Jahan (which means “ruler of the world”) ordered the construction of a tomb for his beloved. Which was built over more than 20 years (from 1630 to 1652) by approximately 20,000 workers under the guidance of architects from all over the Muslim world. Up to a thousand elephants and many horses and oxen were used to transport goods in the construction.

Snow-white marble for construction was brought 300 km away, and other materials for the construction of the tomb were delivered not only from all over India, but also from abroad.

When the Taj Mahal was built, the problem of dismantling scaffolding and auxiliary structures was solved, as it was after the construction of our Winter Palace. Namely, they allowed nearby residents to take these materials for free. Which was done very quickly short term(according to legend - in one night).

The names of the architects who led the creation of the miracle are known. These are Deshenov-Anu, Makramat Khan and Ustad Ahmad Lakhauri. The main author of the project is usually considered to be the Persian Lakhauri. According to another version, the main architect was the Turk Isa Muhammad Effendi.

There is a legend that the masters who performed the miracle were blinded and their hands were cut off so that they would not do anything similar. But it seems that this is just a legend, there is no evidence for it.

So much was spent on the construction of the Taj Mahal that the treasury was practically empty, both huge and richest state The Mughals began to decline. I doubt it. It hurts too much rich country India.

However, after the construction was completed, Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned. The construction of a similar but black mausoleum, symmetrical to the white one, on the other bank of the Dzhanma River has been stopped. Many researchers say about the black mausoleum that it is just a legend. But you must admit, she is beautiful. And judging by the obsession of the creators of the mausoleum with the idea of symmetry, it is plausible.

Aurangzeb, although he kept his father in prison for 20 years, still buried him next to Mumtaz Mahal, his beloved wife and his mother. And Shah Jahan's tomb, which is larger than Mumtaz Mahal's, is the only thing that is not symmetrical in the completely symmetrical Taj Mahal.

But the pitiful story that Shah Jahan spent the 20 years he spent imprisoned in the Red Fort looking out of the window at the mausoleum of his beloved is just a legend. Yes, he was imprisoned in the Red Fort, but not in Agra, but in, 250 km from Agra.

As the Mughal state declined, the Taj Mahal also began to slowly fall into disrepair.

The British, who captured India after the Mughals, although civilized and educated, slowly picked out semi-precious stones from the walls of the mausoleum. And with them, its golden spire was replaced with an exact bronze copy.

After India's independence, the Taj Mahal became an important museum and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Due to excess concentrations of harmful substances in the air, marble darkens. But every year the Taj Mahal is cleaned, and, to my untrained eye, it looks great. There is concern about the shallowing of the Dzhanma River and, as a result, subsidence of the soil at the base of the mausoleum.

And further. Hindu nationalists say that the Taj Mahal is not an Indian work, that it was built on the site of a destroyed Hindu temple and therefore should be demolished. How serious this is is shown by the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister Indian Republic I had to visit the Taj Mahal and after that make a statement that it is very beautiful and, since it was built by Indians, it is an Indian creation.

Excursion to the Taj Mahal

The morning turned out to be somewhat foggy. Which was alarming, since they write on the Internet that in winter you may not see the Taj Mahal at all because of the fog. As one tourist wrote: “I could only touch it.”

We were taken by electric bus to the Taj Mahal ticket office. Cars with internal combustion engines cannot be used there so as not to pollute the air.

We bought tickets, for foreigners they cost 1000 rupees, this is the most expensive excursion in the “” tour.

We were checked no less strictly than when boarding an airplane, with passing through a frame and feeling.

At the entrance there is a huge red gate with 11 small towers. This is a characteristic feature of Muslim buildings in India: the walled courtyard is entered through gates with turrets.

After passing through a relatively small arch, you finally come out to the Mausoleum. Here is the first miracle: when you walk through the arch, the Taj Mahal seems huge and occupies the entire opening, but when you come out, you see that it is far away and it seems small. This is where the first “ah” appears.

To get to the Taj Mahal you walk along an elongated rectangular pool, the bottom of which is painted blue. That's why the water appears blue. The water, we must pay tribute, is transparent, which is very difficult to achieve in tropical conditions. But the bottom of the pool is not very clean.

The paths leading to the mausoleum are lined with low cypress trees and trimmed lawns are laid out along them. They say that initially rose flower beds were laid out here, and lawns are already an English innovation. The English know nothing more beautiful than smooth lawns, but here, I think, roses would be better suited.

The Taj Mahal is best viewed from afar. What can I say: a miracle is a miracle, it needs to be seen.

Before going up to the mausoleum itself, you need to put on the white shoe covers provided when purchasing a ticket.

When you approach, the seams between the marble blocks become visible, the minarets look like ordinary lighthouses. The Taj Maahal is not perceived in parts, it does not fall apart. It needs to be seen in its entirety.

From the high platform paved with marble slabs around the mausoleum you can see the unsightly Jumna River with muddy water. The river from the side of the mausoleum and from the opposite bank is fenced with barbed wire. When we were there, a dead cow lay in the water near the shore. They say that it is now impossible to admire the Taj Mahal from the other side. “The army lives there,” the guide said.

But the Taj Mahal is also beautiful nearby. The patterns of marble and mosaics made of semi-precious stones are impressive. The walls are also decorated with elegant Arabic inscriptions.

You are not allowed to take photographs inside the mausoleum. But I didn’t understand this and took a few shots until they told me. However, there is nothing special inside. There are 2 tombstones there, the larger one for the Shah, the smaller one for Mumtaz Mahal. Light penetrates through the openwork marble lattices, but it is not enough. It's semi-dark inside.

On the sides of the mausoleum there are 2 more symmetrical buildings. One is a working mosque, the other is a caravanserai, or, in Russian, a hotel. They are also not bad, but there is no comparison with the mausoleum.

The Taj Mahal is one of India's greatest monuments, built in the name of love and devotion to a woman. unusual beauty. Having no analogues of its greatness, it reflects the wealth of an entire era in the history of the state. The white marble building was the last gift of the Mongol Emperor Shah Jahan to his late wife Mumtaz Mahal. The emperor ordered to find the best craftsmen and instructed them to create a mausoleum, the beauty of which would have no analogues in the world. Today it is included in the list of the seven most majestic monuments in the world. Constructed of white marble and decorated with semi-precious stones and gold, the Taj Mahal has become one of the most magnificent buildings in the world of architecture. It is instantly recognizable and one of the most photographed structures in the world.

The Taj Mahal has become the pearl of Muslim culture in India and one of the world's generally recognized masterpieces. For centuries it has inspired poets, artists and musicians who have tried to translate its invisible magic into words, paintings and music. Since the 17th century, people have traveled across continents to see and enjoy this amazing monument love. Centuries later, it still captivates visitors with the charm of its architecture, which tells the story of mysterious story love.

The Taj Mahal (translated as "Palace with a Dome") is today considered the most well-preserved and architecturally beautiful mausoleum in the world. Some call the Taj "elegy in marble", for many it is eternal symbol undying love. The English poet Edwin Arnold called it “not a work of architecture, like other buildings, but the love pangs of an emperor embodied in living stones,” and the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore considered it “a tear on the cheek of eternity.”

Creator of the Taj Mahal

The fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan left behind many remarkable architectural monuments associated with the image of India in the eyes modern world: Pearl Mosque of Agra, Shahjahanabad (now known as Old Delhi), Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas at the Red Fort citadel in Delhi. The famous Peacock Throne of the Great Mughals, according to the descriptions of contemporaries, was considered the most luxurious throne in the world. But the most famous of all surviving monuments was the Taj Mahal, which forever immortalized his name.

Shah Jahan had several wives. In 1607 he was betrothed to Arjumanad Banu Begam. The young girl was only 14 years old at that time. 5 years after the engagement, the wedding took place. During the wedding ceremony, Shah Jahan's father, Jahangir, gave his daughter-in-law the name Mumtaz Mahal (translated as "Jewel of the Palace").

According to the official chronicler Qazwini, Jahan's relations with his other wives "were nothing more than the status of marriage. The intimacy, deep affection, attention and favor which His Majesty felt for Mumtaz was a thousand times greater than the feelings towards any other."

Shah Jahan, the "Emperor of the Universe", was a great patron of trade and crafts, science and architecture, art and gardens. He took over the empire after his father's death in 1628 and earned a reputation as a merciless ruler. Through a series of successful military campaigns, Shah Jahan greatly expanded the Mughal Empire. The splendor and wealth of Jahan's court was amazing European travelers. At the height of his reign, he was considered the most powerful man on Earth.

But the personal life of the powerful emperor was overshadowed by the loss of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal during childbirth in 1631. Legend has it that he promised his dying wife to build the most beautiful mausoleum, incomparable to anything in the world. Whether it really happened or not, Shah Jahan embodied his love and wealth in the creation of just such a monument.

Shah Jahan watched the beautiful creation until the end of his days, but as a prisoner, not a ruler. His son Aurangzeb seized the throne in 1658 and imprisoned his own father in the Red Fort of Agra. The only consolation was the opportunity to look at the Taj Mahal from the window of my captivity. In 1666, before his death, Shah Jahan asked for one last wish: to be carried to a window overlooking the Taj Mahal, where he again whispered the name of his beloved.

Mumtaz Mahal

She married five years after the engagement, on May 10, 1612. The date was chosen by court astrologers as the most favorable day for a happy marriage. The marriage of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan turned out to be happy for both newlyweds. Even during her lifetime, poets praised her beauty, harmony and mercy. Mumtaz became Shah Jahan's trusted companion, traveling with him throughout the Mughal Empire. Only the war served as the only reason for their separation. Later, even the war ceased to separate them. She became a support, love and consolation for the emperor, an inseparable companion of her husband until his death.

Over 19 years of marriage, Mumtaz gave birth to 14 children, but the last, fourteenth birth became fatal for her. Mumtaz dies and her body is temporarily buried in Burhanpur.

The chroniclers of the imperial court paid unusually much attention to Jahan's experiences in connection with the death of his wife. The emperor was inconsolable in his grief. After Mumtaz's death, Shah Jahan spent a whole year in seclusion. When he finally came to his senses, his hair had turned gray, his back was bent, and his face had aged. The Emperor stopped listening to music, wearing jewelry and ornate clothing, and wearing perfume for several years.

Shah Jahan died eight years after the accession of his son Aurangzeb to the throne. "My father tortured great affection for my mother, let him last refuge will be next to her,” Aurangzeb declared and ordered his father to be buried next to Mumtaz Mahal.

There is a legend that Shah Jahan planned to build a replica in black marble on the opposite side of the Yamuna River. But these plans are not destined to come to fruition.

Creation of the Taj Mahal

In December 1631, Shah Jahan began construction of the Taj Mahal. Its construction was the fulfillment of a promise made to Mumtaz Mahal in the last moments of her life: to build a monument that would match her beauty. The central mausoleum was completed in 1648, and construction of the entire complex was completed five years later, in 1653.

History hides who exactly owns the layout of the Taj Mahal. In the Islamic world at that time, the construction of buildings was attributed to the owner of the building, and not to its architect. Based on the sources, we can confidently say that a team of architects worked on the project. Like most great monuments, the Taj Mahal stands as a striking testament to the extreme wealth and excess of its creator. 20,000 workers toiled for 22 years to make Shah Jahan's fantasy come true. Sculptors arrived from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlay work was carried out by craftsmen from south india, stonemasons came from Balochistan. Materials were brought from all over India and Central Asia.

Architecture of Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal consists of the following complex of buildings:

Darwaza (main entrance)
Rauza (mausoleum)
Bageecha (gardens)
Masjid (mosque)
Naqqar Khana (guest house)

The mosque and the guest house, built for symmetry, surround the mausoleum on both sides. The marble building is surrounded by four minarets, slightly inclined outside - design feature, designed to prevent the central dome from being damaged in the event of destruction. The complex is located in a garden with a large swimming pool, which reflects what no architect in the world has been able to replicate - a copy of the beauty of the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is surrounded by a beautifully landscaped garden. An Islamic style garden is not just one of components complex. The followers of Muhammad lived in vast expanses of arid lands under the sultry sun, so the walled garden represented Heaven on Earth. It covers most of the complex: from total area 580x300 m, the garden occupies 300x300 m.

Since the number “4” is considered a holy number in Islam, the layout of the Taj Mahal garden is based on the number four and its multiples. Canals and a central pond divide the garden into four parts. In each quarter there are 16 flower beds (64 in total), separated by pedestrian paths. The trees in the garden are either of the cypress family (meaning death) or fruit trees (meaning life), all arranged in a symmetrical arrangement.

The trees of the Taj Garden are either of the cypress family (meaning death) or fruit family (meaning life), all arranged in a symmetrical pattern. The Taj Mahal is located at the northern end of the garden, not in the center. In essence, in the center of the garden, between the Taj and its central gate, there is an artificial pond that reflects the mausoleum in its waters.

History of the Taj Mahal after construction

By the mid-19th century, the Taj Mahal had become a place of pleasure. Women danced on the terrace, and the mosque and guest house were rented out to newlyweds. The British, along with the Indians, plundered the rich carpets, semi-precious stones, silver doors and tapestries that once adorned the mausoleum. Vacationers often came armed with a hammer and chisel to better extract pieces of agate and carnelian from the stone flowers.
For some time it seemed that the monument, like the Mughals themselves, might disappear. In 1830, Lord William Bentinck (Governor General of India at the time), planned to dismantle the Taj Mahal and sell its marble. They say that only the lack of potential buyers prevented the destruction of the mausoleum.

In 1857, during the Indian Rebellion, the Taj Mahal suffered even more damage. By the end of the 19th century it finally fell into disrepair. The area became overgrown without maintenance, and the graves were desecrated by vandals.

After many years of decline, the British Governor-General of India, Lord Curzon, organized a massive restoration project, completed in 1908. The building was renovated, the garden and canals were restored. Restoration of the monument helped restore its former glory.

It is customary to criticize the British for their neglect of the Taj Mahal, but the Indians did not treat their treasure much better. As Agra's population increased, the monument began to suffer from pollution and acid rain, which discolored its white marble. In the late 1990s, the future of the monument was under serious threat until Supreme Court India decided to move particularly hazardous industries outside the city.
The Taj Mahal is considered the best example Mughal architecture, combining elements of Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural schools. In 1983, the monument was added to the list World Heritage UNESCO, calling it "the pearl of Muslim art in India and one of the world's heritage masterpieces, admired by all."

The Taj Mahal has become India's most identifiable symbol, attracting around 2.5 million tourists annually. It is one of the most recognizable monuments in the world. The history behind its construction makes it one of the greatest monuments of love ever built in the world.

Video in Russian

View photos:

One of the most wonderful creations human hands, a place that attracts millions of people from all over the world every year - the majestic and beautiful Taj Mahal - is rightfully a true symbol of India.

History of construction

The Taj Mahal is an amazing snow-white structure that was built as a tomb for the third and beloved wife of the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal, on the banks of the Jumna River in Agra. Despite the large harem, the emperor loved Mumtaz Mahal most of all. She bore him thirteen children, and died in 1631, when the fourteenth was born. The ruler grieved greatly after the death of his beloved wife, so he ordered to gather the most skilled craftsmen of that time to create a mausoleum that would become a symbol of his boundless love for Mumtaz. Construction began in 1632 and lasted over 20 years: the main complex was completed by 1648, and the secondary buildings and garden were completed five years later. The original “prototypes” of this grandiose tomb were Guri-Amir - the mausoleum of Tamerlane, the founder of the dynasty of Mughal rulers, located in Samarkand, the Jama Masjid mosque in Delhi, as well as the tomb of Humayun - one of the Mughal rulers.

Architectural miracle

The Taj Mahal is designed in the traditional Persian style and is a complex of luxurious and majestic structures built from white marble. The main place in it is occupied by the mausoleum itself, located in the center of the site. It has the shape of a cube with “cut” corners and is topped with a huge dome. The structure stands on a square “pedestal”, at the four corners of which there are tall minarets. The mausoleum inside has a large number of rooms and halls, decorated with amazing mosaics, painted with subtle patterns and ornate ornaments. The coffin of Mumtaz Mahal is located in one of these rooms. And next to him is the coffin of Shah Jahan himself, who wished after his death to be buried next to his beloved. Initially, the ruler was going to build an exact copy of the tomb on the other side of the Jumna for himself, only from black marble, but he was unable to bring his idea to life, so he bequeathed to be buried in the Taj Mahal next to his wife. But it is worth noting that both of these coffins are empty, and the real burial place is in an underground crypt.

Initially the mausoleum was decorated a huge amount precious and semi-precious stones, pearls, and its main door was made of pure silver. But, unfortunately, to this day all these treasures have practically not survived, having “settled” in the pockets of not very honest “tourists”.

The Taj Mahal is surrounded on three sides by a beautiful park, the gate to which is also an architectural masterpiece. Roads running along a wide canal lead through the park to the main entrance. And on both sides of the mausoleum there are two mosques.

Translated from Persian, “Taj Mahal” means “crown of all palaces.” And it truly is “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the internationally recognized masterpieces of the world’s heritage.”

The Taj Mahal was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

It is also worth noting that tourists are officially allowed to photograph the Taj Mahal only from one side - opposite central entrance.

On a note

Location: Agra city, 200 km from Delhi.
How to get there: by train or express train to the railway station "Agra Cantt."
Official website: www.tajmahal.gov.in
Opening hours: daily from 6.00 to 19.00, except Friday. Two days before and two days after the full moon, the mausoleum is open in the evening hours - from 20.30 to midnight.
Tickets: foreigners - 750 rupees, local residents- 20 rupees, children under 15 years old - free. Tickets for night visits must be purchased one day in advance.

You cannot fly an airplane over it. You can get into it at night, but only during the full moon. All the architects who worked on it were killed. This is the Taj Mahal. Heart of India.

History of the Taj Mahal in India

The Taj Mahal was built in honor of a woman. Who was loved very much and who died. A descendant of Khan Tamerlane, the Great Mongol Emperor Shah Jahan ordered the construction of a palace in honor of his late wife Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal translates as “the chosen one of the palace.” According to the traditions of that time, the khan had a huge harem, but he loved only his wife.

The silhouette of the Taj Mahal in India is instantly recognizable by people all over the world. It is one of the most photographed buildings in history. Made of white marble, decorated with gold and semi-precious stones, this structure testifies to the wealth of the state and the skill of the craftsmen of the 17th century. And of course, about great love.

It is not surprising that the Taj Mahal on the map of India is the most popular place. More than 3 million people visit it annually.

Shah Jahan and his Love

Contemporaries called Shah Jahan the ruler of the world. He ruled his empire for 30 years and during this time the country came to cultural and political prosperity.

When Shah was a fifteen-year-old boy, he met a girl in the market. She was 14 and selling trinkets. It was Arju-mand Banu Begam. The history of the Taj Mahal in India began with this meeting. According to legend, the young lovers immediately fell in love with each other. But the Shah was forced to enter into a marriage beneficial to the dynasty. His wife was a Persian princess. The first of the four permitted by Islam. The Shah married his beloved for the second time. A new name - Mumtaz Mahal - was given to her by her father-in-law, the great Khan Jahangir.

The relationship of the young couple was cloudless, trusting and tender. According to contemporaries, the emperor's wife was beautiful and wise. And also brave. Pregnant, she accompanied him on the campaign and died in childbirth. This was to be their fourteenth child. Mumtaz Mahal was 39 years old.

True or not, when she died, the woman allegedly asked her lover to fulfill two of her wishes. First, he will not marry again, so as not to create enmity between the heirs. And secondly, to erect a mausoleum in her honor, the like of which the world has never seen. The emperor promised to fulfill both requests and kept his word.

After the death of his wife, the ruler locked himself in his room for eight days, did not drink or eat. During this time he grew very old. And when he left, he began to create the most majestic mausoleum in India called the Taj Mahal.

Construction of the palace

The best craftsmen from Baghdad, Istanbul, Samarkand and many other cities came to the emperor’s call. Everyone presented their project. More than others, the ruler liked the sketches drawn by the Iranian Istad Usa. A famous architect at that time. Istad Usa never saw how and who built the Taj Mahal in India based on its model. He was blinded so that he would not do anything like this again. It is possible, of course, that this is a fiction and the poor architect was not harmed. It is also known that, besides him, design work French and Venetian masters were also involved.

The palace was founded in Agra in 1632. Only 10 years later work on the central building was completed.

Architectural features of the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal palace in India is a whole complex of buildings. Here are the main ones:

the mausoleum itself (a five-domed temple, the largest dome resembles a flower bud; the height of the entire structure is 74 m);
four minarets (they were designed and installed at a slight angle from the tomb, so that if they fell they would not hit it);
two identical sandstone buildings;
garden (with fountains and a swimming pool);
huge gates (according to Muslim beliefs, they seem to lead from the realm of the senses to the kingdom of the spirit, symbolizing the gates to heaven; immediately behind the gates there is a view of the mausoleum, which is reflected in the water of the pool; initially the doors were silver, later they were replaced by copper).

A staircase leads to the mausoleum. Since the Taj Mahal in India is also a kind of mosque, it is customary to take off your shoes at the entrance. The building is lined with marble. It is translucent and polished. The marble had to be delivered 300 km away. It reflects light amazingly - it looks pink in the morning, white during the day, and silver at night.

There are openwork grilles on the windows and arches, and suras from the Koran are engraved in black marble in the passages. The walls are covered with gilding, marble mosaics and ornaments. It used 1.5 thousand tons of diamonds, pearls, agate, carnelian, malachite and turquoise. In the center of the mausoleum there are marble screens, and behind them are the tombs. They always have fresh flowers. But these tombs are false, empty. The bodies of the Shah and his wife are located under the building, in a crypt.

The Taj Mahal Temple in India took 22 years to build. This required the labor of 20 thousand builders. The work on the temple was carried out by the best craftsmen - sculptors from Bukhara, Syrian calligraphers, jewelers from South India.

Later the temple was looted and many precious stones disappeared.

The park around the mausoleum is also very beautiful. The paths are paved with marble. The pool, which is located in front of the main entrance, is lined with cypress trees. In these parts they are considered to be trees of sorrow.

At the entrance to the garden there is a mosque made of red sandstone. It has eleven domes and two minarets.

The entire complex stands on the banks of the Jamuna River. The mausoleum is reflected in the water ripples. The image is unclear, which evokes thoughts of the unearthly nature of the Taj Mahal. In the morning at dawn, fog rises over the river and the palace seems to be floating in the clouds.

The fate of Shah Jahan

The Emperor had completed the construction of India's most beautiful palace, the Taj Mahal, and was about to begin the next one. The Shah wanted to build the same mausoleum on the opposite bank of the river, but from black marble. And connect both complexes with a bridge. This bridge was supposed to symbolize the victory of love over death.

But the emperor’s health failed. He planned to hand over control of the country to his first son, with whom he was close. But this was prevented by the intrigues of the Shah’s second son. He spread gossip that his father had lost his mind and was not allowed to choose his own heir. It was the second son who ascended the throne. He got rid of his brothers and imprisoned his father. Where exactly did the fallen emperor spend his last years unknown for sure. Most historians are inclined to believe that he was kept in the Red Fort. This building is opposite the mausoleum, on the opposite bank of the river. Shah spent the last eight years of his life there. I could admire the Taj Mahal and remember my beloved. He is buried with her in the palace crypt.

The fate of the Taj Mahal

Descendants did not treat the mausoleum with the same reverence as its creator. Two centuries later, the palace was perceived more as a place for entertainment, rather than as a shrine. Girls could afford to dance on the terrace, and rich young couples came to Agra, a city in India near the Taj Mahal, to celebrate their wedding. The mosque and guest house on the territory of the complex could easily be rented.

Following the Indians themselves, the British colonialists continued to plunder the Taj Mahal. They took stones, carpets and even doors. They easily came to the palace with a hammer and chisel to make it easier to tear out jewelry. At one point, the Governor General of India even planned to demolish the Taj Mahal and sell the marble. The palace was saved by the fact that at that time there were no buyers.

The mausoleum suffered even greater destruction during the Indian uprising of 1857 and under late XIX for centuries it was in complete decline. The garden is overgrown, the graves are desecrated.

Another governor-general took up the task of restoration. Lord Curzon. The restoration of the Taj Mahal was completed in 1908.

The next danger came to the Palace in the second half of the 20th century. Agra - a city in India, next to the Taj Mahal - has become industrial center. Acid rain rained down on the Taj Mahal, damaging the marble. Only in the late 90s did the Indian authorities order all hazardous production to be moved from Agra.

Now the Taj Mahal is main symbol India. A tear on the cheek of eternity.

Taj Mahal - a recognized symbol eternal love, because it was created for the sake of the woman who won the heart of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Mumtaz Mahal was his third wife and died giving birth to their fourteenth child. To perpetuate the name of his beloved, the padishah conceived a grandiose project to build a mausoleum. Construction took 22 years, but today it is an example of harmony in art, which is why tourists from all over the world dream of visiting the wonder of the world.

Taj Mahal and its construction

To build the world's greatest mausoleum, the padishah recruited more than 22,000 people from all over the empire and surrounding states. The best craftsmen worked on the mosque to bring it to perfection, maintaining complete symmetry according to the emperor's plans. Initially, the plot of land on which it was planned to install the tomb belonged to Maharaja Jai Singh. Shah Jahan gave him a palace in the city of Agra in exchange for empty territory.

First, work was carried out to prepare the soil. The area, which exceeds a hectare in area, was dug up and the soil was replaced to ensure the stability of the future building. The foundation was dug wells, which were filled with rubble stone. During construction, white marble was used, which had to be transported not only from different parts of the country, but even from neighboring countries. To solve the transportation problem, we had to specially invent carts and construct a lifting ramp.

Only the tomb and its platform took about 12 years to build; the remaining elements of the complex were built over the course of another 10 years. Over the years, the following structures have appeared:

minarets;
mosque;
jawab;
Big gate.

It is precisely because of this length of time that disputes often arise as to how many years it took to build the Taj Mahal and what year should be considered the moment of completion of the construction of the landmark. Construction began in 1632, and all work was completed by 1653; the mausoleum itself was ready in 1643. But no matter how long the work lasted, the result was the appearance in India amazing The temple is 74 meters high and is surrounded by gardens with an impressive swimming pool and fountains.

Features of the architecture of the Taj Mahal

Despite the fact that the structure is so culturally significant, there is still no reliable information about who actually was the main architect of the tomb. During the work, the best craftsmen were involved, a Council of Architects was created, and all decisions made came exclusively from the emperor. Many sources believe that the project to create the complex came from Ustad Ahmad Lakhauri. True, when discussing the question of who built the pearl of architectural art, the name of the Turk Isa Muhammad Efendi often comes up.

However, it does not really matter who built the palace, since it is a symbol of the love of the padishah, who sought to create a unique tomb worthy of his faithful life partner. For this reason, white marble was chosen as the material, signifying the purity of the soul of Mumtaz Mahal. The walls of the tomb are decorated with precious stones arranged in intricate patterns to convey amazing beauty the emperor's wife.

Several styles are intertwined in architecture, among which notes from Persia, Islam and Central Asia. The main advantages of the complex are considered to be the chessboard floor, minarets 40 meters high, and an amazing dome. A special feature of the Taj Mahal is the use of optical illusions. For example, inscriptions from the Koran written along the arches appear to be the same size throughout their entire height. In fact, the letters and the distance between them at the top are much greater than at the bottom, but a person going inside does not see this difference.

The illusions do not end there, since you need to observe the attraction in different time days. The marble from which it is made is translucent, so it appears white during the day, at sunset it acquires a pinkish tint, and at night under moonlight gives away silver.

In Islamic architecture it is impossible to do without images of flowers, but how skillfully the mosaic monument was made cannot fail to impress. If you look closely, you can see dozens of precious stones encrusted just a couple of centimeters deep. Such details are found inside and outside, because the entire mausoleum is thought out to the smallest detail.

The entire structure is axially symmetrical from the outside, so some parts were added just to maintain the overall appearance. The interior is also symmetrical, but narrower in relation to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. The general harmony is disturbed only by the tombstone of Shah Jahan himself, which after his death was installed next to his beloved. Although for tourists it does not matter what the symmetry looks like inside the room, because it is decorated so exquisitely that the eye is distracted, and this is considering the fact that most of the treasures were looted by vandals.

To build the Taj Mahal, it was necessary to install massive scaffolding, and it was decided to use durable brick rather than the usual bamboo. The craftsmen who worked on the project argued that it would take years to dismantle the created structure. Shah Jahan took a different route and announced that anyone could take as many bricks as they could carry. As a result, the structure was dismantled by city residents in a few days.

The story goes that upon completion of construction, the emperor ordered the eyes and hands of all the craftsmen who performed the miracle to be gouged out, so that they could not reproduce similar elements in other works. And although in those days many actually used such methods, it is believed that this is only a legend, and the padishah limited himself to a written assurance that the architects would not create a similar mausoleum.

On this Interesting Facts do not end, because opposite the Taj Mahal there should have been the same tomb for the Indian ruler, but made of black marble. This was briefly outlined in the documents of the son of the great padishah, but historians are inclined to believe that they were talking about the reflection of the existing tomb, which from the pool appears black, which also confirms the emperor’s passion for illusions.

There is a debate that the museum may collapse due to the Jumna river becoming shallower over the years. Recently, cracks were found on the walls, but this does not mean that the reason lies only in the river. The temple is located in a city where it is influenced by various environmental factors. Once snow-white marble takes on a yellow tint, so it has to be cleaned frequently with white clay.

For those who are interested in how the name of the complex is translated, it is worth saying that from Persian it means “greatest palace.” However, there is an opinion that the secret lies in the name of the chosen one of the Indian prince. The future emperor was in love with his cousin even before marriage and called her Mumtaz Mahal, i.e. Decoration of the Palace, and Taj, in turn, means “crown”.

Note to tourists

It is not worth listing what the great mausoleum is famous for, because it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is also considered a New Wonder of the World. During the excursion, they will definitely tell a romantic story about who the temple was built in honor of, and will also give short description stages of construction and will reveal the secrets of which city has a similar structure.

To visit the Taj Mahal, you will need an address: in the city of Agra, you need to get to State Highway 62, Tajganj, Uttar Pradesh. It is allowed to take photographs on the territory of the temple, but only with ordinary equipment; professional equipment is strictly prohibited here. True, many tourists do beautiful photos outside the complex, you just need to know where it is Observation deck, which offers a view from above. The city map usually indicates where you can see the palace and from which side the entrance to the complex is open.

It might be useful to read: