One of the most marvellous creations of human hands, a place that attracts millions of people from all over the world every year - the majestic and beautiful Taj Mahal - is a true symbol of India.
History of construction
The Taj Mahal is a marvellous snow-white structure that was built as a tomb for the third and favourite wife of the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal, on the banks of the river Jamna in Agra. Despite the numerous harem, it was Mumtaz Mahal who the emperor loved the most. She bore him thirteen children, and died in 1631, at the birth of the fourteenth. The ruler grieved greatly after the death of his beloved wife, so he ordered to gather the most skilful craftsmen of the time to create a mausoleum that would symbolise his boundless love for Mumtaz. Construction began in 1632 and lasted more than 20 years: the main complex was completed by 1648, and the secondary buildings and garden were completed five years later. A kind of "prototypes" of this grandiose tomb became Guri Amir - the mausoleum of Tamerlane, the ancestor of the dynasty of Mogul rulers, located in Samarkand, the Jama Masjid mosque in Delhi, as well as the tomb of Humayun - one of the Mogul rulers.
Architectural marvel
The Taj Mahal is in the traditional Persian style and is a complex of luxurious and majestic structures built of white marble. The main place in it is occupied by the mausoleum itself, located in the centre 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", on the four corners of which there are high minarets. The mausoleum inside has a large number of rooms and halls decorated with marvellous mosaics, painted with fine patterns and ornate ornaments. In one of these rooms is the coffin of Mumtaz Mahal. And next to it is the coffin of Shah Jahan himself, who wished to be buried next to his beloved after his death. Initially the ruler intended to build an exact copy of the tomb on the other bank of the Jamna for himself, only of black marble, but he failed to realise his idea, so he willed to bury himself 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.
Originally, the mausoleum was decorated with a huge number of precious and semi-precious stones, pearls, and its main door was made of pure silver. But, unfortunately, until our time all these treasures have not survived, "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 either side of the mausoleum stand two mosques.
In Persian, Taj Mahal means "the crown of all palaces". And it is truly "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the globally recognised masterpieces of world heritage."
The Taj Mahal was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
It is also worth noting that tourists are officially allowed to photograph the Taj Mahal from only one side - opposite the main entrance.
On a side note
- Location: city of Agra, 200 kilometres 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 am to 7.00 pm except Friday. Two days before and two days after the full moon, the mausoleum is open during evening hours - from 8.30 p.m. to midnight.
- Tickets: foreigners - Rs 750, locals - Rs 20, children under 15 free. Tickets for night time visits are purchased a day in advance.
