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Location
of Taj Mahal: Agra,
Uttar Pradesh
Architecture of Taj Mahal : Mughal
Architecture
Famous As: 7th Wonder of the world
Taj Mahal Was Built By: Mughal
Emperor Shahjahan
Overlooking
the River Yamuna, and visible from the fort in the west, the Taj
Mahal stands at the northern end of vast gardens enclosed by
walls. Though its layout follows a distinctly Islamic theme,
representing Paradise, it is above all a monument to romantic
love. Shah Jahan built the Taj to enshrine the body of his
favourite wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal
("Elect of the Palace"), who died shortly after giving
birth to her fourteenth child, in 1631.
Architects at Work: The names of the chief
architects who worked on the Taj have been noted. Ismail Afandi,
who designed the hemispheres and built the domes was from Turkey.
Qazim Khan came from Lahore to cast the gold finial that would top
the dome. Chiranji Lal was called from Delhi to pattern the
mosaic. From Shiraz in Persia came master calligrapher, Amanat
Khan. Stone cutter Amir Ali was from Baluchistan. Ustad Isa of
Tukey is however credited to have been the main architect. It is
believed that his design embodied much of what the Emperor wanted
to express.
Approach to the Taj Mahal: The walled complex is
approached from the south through a red sandstone forecourt,
Chowk-i Jilo Khana, whose wide paths, flanked by arched kiosks,
run to high gates in the east
and west.
The original entrance, a massive arched gateway topped with
delicate domes and adorned with Koranic verses, stands at the
northern edge of Chowk-i Jilo Khana, directly aligned with the Taj,
but shielding it from the view of those who wait outside. Today's
entrance, complete with security checks, is through a narrow
archway in the southern wall to the right of the gate.
Garden mausoleum: The mighty marble tomb stands
at the end of superb gardens designed in the charbagh style so
fashionable among Moghul, Arabic and Persian architects. Dissected
into four quadrants by waterways, they evoke the Islamic image of
the Gardens of Paradise, where rivers flow with water, milk, wine
and honey. The "rivers" converge at a marble tank in the
centre that corresponds to al-Kawthar, the celestial pool of
abundance mentioned in the Koran. Today only the watercourse
running from north to south is full, and its precise, glassy
reflection of the Taj is a favourite photographic image
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