Taj mahal

 The Taj mahal is a very intaresting place of World.The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.Taj Mahal is considered to be the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Islamic and Indian architectural styles.In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designerThe death of Mumtaz Mahal in 1631 A.D. after the birth of her fourteenth child is said to have left Shah Jahan so heartbroken. The court festivities were stopped for days and the Emperor refused to take part in public affairs. His grief was without limits at the sad and ultimately demise of the lady he loved so much, the lady was his constant companion in difficulty as in happiness and success.Shah Jahan decided that even though Mumtaz Mahal was dead, she would live forever in the mausoleum that would be built as her final resting place. Thus, the Taj Mahal came into existence.The land on the banks of river Yamuna towards South of Agra that belonged to Raja Man Singh and later his grandson Raja Jai Singh was acquired as the site of the Taj Mahal.The ‘Venus de Milo’ of the east, took approximately 20 years to get completed (1632-1652 A.D.) 20,000 workmen was employed in its construction. The expenses up to 50 lakhs of rupees, but some sources estimate it to be 9 crores and 17 lakhs rupees. The work was supervised by Mukarramat Khan and Mir Abdul Karim while Ustad Isa was its chief architect. Artisans and material were brought from various places of the world like Kandahar, Ceylon, Nile. Sea of Ormuz, Basrah, Yemen, Persia and other places.The whole mausoleum is placed within a rectangular area 1900 ft. by 1000 ft., enclosed on all sides, except the river front by a high wall with octagonal turrets. On three sides there are gateways similar to each other, bout only one of them, the southern gateway is functional. The entrance portal, like all the other gateways is made of red sandstone with marble inlay. Along the frame of the central alcove are found the inscriptions from the holy Qur’an in black letters against the white marble background. The main gateway descends down to a square garden measuring 100 ft n each side and approximately 42 acres in area. On the western side of the mausoleum is the mosque while the opposite end lies the rest house or Jawab.The Main dome stands on a marble platform at the northern end of the garden and not at the centre as the usual Mughal garden tombs were designed. The tomb building occupies the centre of this platform.The Inner dome is approximately of the same height as the iwans whilst the outer dome towers are above. Directly below the inner dome if the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal and next to it that of her husband Shah Jahan. The cenotaphs in the main chamber are surrounded by an octagonal pierced screen with two gates with detailed pietra dura inlay on the posts. The walls of the interior are separated into blind arches with alternate arched doorways which give an easy access to the four circular side chambers.The Taj Mahal has the same basic form as the Humayun’s Tomb and consists of fur octagons arranged around a central domed shape. As the finest example of the Mughal funerary architecture it doesn’t come as a surprise that the design of the Taj Mahal was subsequently copied and developed in later tombs.This entire huge structure built of entire white marble is not disproportionate in any way. Every single aspect of it matches with the other parts in perfect harmony making it an out of the world wanderful. It is made of very costly materials and yet it has marked simplicity about it.