The magnificent Taj Mahal rises over the River Yamuna as a testament to an Indian emperor’s everlasting devotion to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Shah Jahan built the mausoleum, mosque, and monument to honor his deceased wife with opulent décor, religious piety, and unsurpassed beauty. With its characteristic tapered dome, delicate minarets, and glowing white marble façade, the Taj Mahal has remained “the jewel of India.”
The strong Mughal Empire of the 17th century melded culture of the Hindus, Muslims, and other central Asians. Shah Jahan ruled with a peaceful authority compared to previous Shahs. He felt inspired by his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, to treat his subjects with justice. Right before she died during childbirth in 1630, she made him promise to build her a grand structure to commemorate her beauty and spiritual devotion.
Počevši od 1631., šah je skupio brojne savjetnike, arhitekte, kaligrafe i vjerske vođe da ga savjetuju o materijalima i dizajnu velike zgrade koja će biti poznata kao Taj Mahal. Bilo je potrebno više od 20 godina, 20,000 XNUMX radnika i tone mramora i pješčenjaka da se dovrši nacionalno blago u gradu Agri. Ovaj golemi poduhvat iskoristio je iskopano drago kamenje i dragocjene stijene indijskog krajolika kako bi istaknuo prirodni sjaj carstva.
The Taj Mahal itself combines decorative gardens, a Muslim mosque, and the tomb with vaulted domes and an arching gateway. The rectangular foundation, made from reddish sandstone, contrasts with the opalescent white marble facing the central dome, walls, and minarets. The Shah probably designed the structure to seemingly alter color depending on the shade of sun or moonlight hitting its surface.
S namjerom savršenstva, šah je konačno dovršio jedno od svjetskih arhitektonskih čuda 1648. S rijekom koja odražava njenu grandioznu sliku, Taj Mahal savršeno spaja islamsku umjetnost, perzijsku estetiku i inovativni dizajn. Ukrašena je pravim intarziranim dragim kamenjem koje blista na svjetlosti koja se filtrira kroz otvorene rešetke, a kaligrafske linije iz Kur’ana ispisane su po cijelom dijelu.