One of the best wonders of the world is the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Located on the banks of the Jamuna River in Agra, India, the Taj Mahal is a royal mausoleum and one of the most impressive engineering creations of all time.
History of Taj Mahal:
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built this magnificent monument in memory of his wife Arjumand Banu Begum.
The construction of this monumental monument known as Taj Mahal or simply Taj started in 1632 AD. And the work was completed in 1648.
The Taj Mahal is considered to be the finest example of Mughal architecture. Its architecture combines Persian, Turkish, Indian and Islamic architectural styles with remarkable skill.
Although the white marble domed royal mausoleum at the center of the Taj Mahal complex is generally the most admired and the center of attraction, the Taj Mahal as a whole is an intricate engineering and architectural feat. It listed the preserve as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. At the time it was called the world heritage's ever-acclaimed masterpiece.
In 1631 AD, Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's second wife Mumtaz Mahal died while giving birth to their fourteenth child Gauhar Begum. Emperor Shah Jahan was deeply saddened by this death. He took the initiative to build the Taj Mahal to immortalize the memory of his beloved wife.
Construction of the Taj Mahal began immediately after Mumtaz's death. The main tomb was completed in 1648 AD and the surrounding buildings and gardens were completed five years later.
Built in white marble, the Taj Mahal, like other Mughal mausoleums, has mainly Persian features, such as symmetrical buildings with iwans, large domes over arched doorways. The foundation structure of the tomb, set on a square altar, is huge and has several chambers. The main hall houses the memorial plaques of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, whose graves are one level below.
The marble stone dome above the tomb is the most interesting part of it. Its size is almost the same as the base of the building, about 35 meters. The reason for this height is that the dome is placed on top of a 7 meter high cylindrical drum.
Before the construction of the Taj Mahal was completed, Shah Jahan's son, Aurangzeb, was imprisoned and deposed. He was kept under house arrest in Agra Fort. It is said that Shah Jahan spent most of the rest of his life staring fixedly at the Taj Mahal from the windows of the Agra Fort.
After Shah Jahan's death, Aurangzeb buried him next to his wife Mumtaz in the Taj Mahal. In the late 19th century, a part of the Taj Mahal fell into disrepair. During the Sepoy Revolution of 1857, the British soldiers defaced the Taj Mahal and the government officials took away the valuable sapphires from the walls of the Taj Mahal with batali.
In the late 19th century, Lord Curzon undertook a major project to rebuild the Taj Mahal. The work on the project was completed in 1908. He placed a large lamp (which was supposed to be modeled after one hanging in the Cairo mosque but the artisans of the time could not make it exactly) on the inner dais of the Taj Mahal. Similarly, the design of the garden was changed to English horticultural style. The garden in front of the Taj is still in that design.
In the 20th century, great attention was paid to the maintenance of the Taj Mahal. During World War II, when the German Air Force and later the Japanese Air Force attacked the airspace in 1942, the then British government built a scaffolding over the Taj Mahal to protect it (see photo). Later, during the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1965 and 1971, the Taj Mahal was also covered with scaffolding so that enemy pilots could not see the Taj.
The most recent threat to the Taj Mahal is environmental pollution along the banks of the Yamuna River. Besides, acid rain caused by the oil refinery in Mathura (regarding that refinery, however, the Indian High Court has issued a ban).
Beauty of Taj Mahal:
The beauty of Taj Mahal on full moon night cannot be expressed in words. It is like the water of a single point of view under the dome of time.
World poet Rabindranath Tagore gave such an analogy while describing the beauty of Taj Mahal. But to be honest, no matter how many descriptions you hear, you can't understand how beautiful the Taj Mahal really is until you see it with your own eyes. Thousands of foreigners come to this country to see this seventh wonder of the world. Even the natives cannot resist the temptation to see the Taj. Be it daytime or full moon night, the beauty of the Taj is different at each time. Since that time, tourists can't resist the urge to take pictures in front of the single Taj Mahal.
The builder of this ancient monument of Agra was Mughal Emperor Shahjahan himself. On his instructions, this monument was built in memory of his late wife Mumtaz. Some say that this mahal is a symbol of the emperor's love for his wife. According to some, the emperor built this palace out of remorse after the death of his tortured wife. Many Munis have different opinions about these. This monument made of white stone hides various information, mysteries, and unknown history.
Names of Almighty Allah throughout Saud:
Most of the manuscripts used on the walls of the Taj Mahal were taken from the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an. Apart from the walls of the Taj Mahal, Mumtaz Mahal and the tomb of Emperor Shah Jahan were also inscribed with such verses. The Taj Mahal has 99 different names of Allah engraved as calligraphy inscriptions at different places. Engineers and Architects and Workers of Taj Mahal: The design of Taj Mahal is amazing
Engineers and Architects Workers and design of Taj Mahal:
The design of Taj Mahal is very interesting. The Taj Mahal was built mainly by a combination of Indian, Persian and Islamic sculptures. Following the principles of Persian and Islamic architecture, the Taj Mahal is almost perfectly symmetrical. Minarets (towers), walls, rooms and even gardens are built following perfect symmetry. Taj Mahal is 5 feet taller than Qutub Minar. It is worth mentioning in this context that historians claim that all the craftsmen who built the Taj Mahal had their hands cut off. This arrangement is to ensure that such constructions are not made in the future. The chief engineer, architect of the Taj Mahal is Ustad Ahmed Lahri.
Various Engineering Materials for Construction of Taj Mahal:
The materials that were used to construct the Taj Mahal were mainly brought from different places in India and all over the Asian continent. More than 1000 elephants were used to transport all these construction materials. The marble stones required to build the Taj Mahal were mainly purchased from different countries and different parts of India.
The clear white marble in this was purchased from a place called Makrana in Rajasthan. Jets and crystals were purchased from China. The jumper was bought from Punjab. Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan. Cornelia from Arabia. And turquoise marble was bought from Tibet. Taj Mahal Burial Mystery: Not only Mumtaz, Shah Jahan's other wives and beloved servants were buried in the Taj Mahal. But they are located outside the Taj Mahal. Although almost all areas of the Taj Mahal are symmetrical, the mausoleum is not symmetrical. Graves should never be decorated according to Islamic tradition. Perhaps this is why Shahjahan and Mumtaz were buried in a flat mausoleum below the inner chamber of the Taj Mahal.
Lord Curzon's name is engraved on a lamp inside the Taj Mahal. The stone weighs around 60 kg and is placed right in front of the main gate of the Taj Mahal. So that visitors can see it just by entering the Taj Mahal.
The four pillars or minar of the Taj Mahal are not standing straight but are slightly tilted outwards. The main reason behind such construction is that no natural calamities like earthquakes can damage it.
Taj Mahal was hidden!
Many believe that during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, some British soldiers took the precious stones from the tomb walls.
To prevent destruction, the Taj Mahal was covered with bamboo cages by the Archaeological Survey of India during World War II. From above it looked like a bamboo stockpile. The Taj was similarly covered during the 1971 war.
Summary:
There are many engineering structures around the world that are unforgettable constructions. But we believe that the structure that Emperor Shah Jahan built for love can leave behind any engineering invention of the modern era. May the Taj Mahal live forever on earth as an immortal symbol of love.