White marble was utilized to construct the Taj Mahal. The marble used in the building came from a variety of places. A massive white dome surrounds the Taj Mahal, which is flanked by four smaller domes. The central dome has a diameter of 42 feet and it rises 45 feet from its base. The three surrounding domes have diameters of 26 feet each.
The Taj Mahal was built between 1632 and 1653 by Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his wife, Empress Mumtaz Mahal. It is located in Agra, India. The construction project involved the removal of nearly 7 million cubic feet of rock and marble to build the mausoleum. It took 20,000 workers over 22 years to complete the project. The emperor ordered the death penalty be carried out on anyone who looked upon the face of his dead wife, so every worker wore a mask while they were on site to prevent this from happening.
Inside the Taj Mahal are two chambers, one for each deceased queen. The walls of the queens' chamber are covered with glazed tiles with images of flowers and Quranic verses. There are also eight lights set into the ceiling that can be illuminated at night.
The construction of the Taj Mahal was not easy. There were times when money ran out and more than once the builders stopped to ask God for help.
The Taj Mahal's Design and Construction The Taj Mahal, named after Mumtaz Mahal, was built of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones (such as jade, crystal, lapis lazuli, amethyst, and turquoise) to produce elaborate motifs in a technique known as pietra dura. It was designed by the Indian architect Filipe de Castro and built between 1632 and 1648 for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Decoration includes images of flowers, birds, and other natural forms used as bookmarks, which illustrate principles of geometry and physics as well as traditional symbols meaning love, happiness, faith, and peace. The overall effect is one of beauty and majesty.
The Taj Mahal is often referred to as "the jewel of India". It is also known as "the mausoleum of Shah Jahan" and "the tomb of love".
It is said that in order to make sure that his beloved would be buried with all the luxury that he had given up when he married her, Shah Jahan ordered that they be buried together inside the marble mausoleum he had built at the very place where she was buried. This is why it is called the Taj Mahal - "the great tomb".
The Taj Mahal is a fully symmetrical designed structure, with an emphasis on bilateral symmetry along a central axis where the principal features are located. The construction material is brick-in-lime mortar veneered with red sandstone and marble, with precious and semi-precious stone inlay work. The building takes about 3 years to complete.
The foundation consists of a series of arches supported by thick white stones set into the ground. This is followed by a series of horizontal layers or "courts" which form the sides of the building. These consist of two floors connected by open arcades. The third floor opens out onto a terrace called the Shahi Burj or "Royal balcony". It has been suggested that this was probably so the emperor could be reminded of his subjects even after his death.
The main entrance is through a large arch at one end of the building. Inside there are three chambers: one at each end and one in the middle. These contain images of people who have been claimed as descendants of Akbar but this cannot be verified today.
The building is laid out like a maze and no two structures are the same. There are several theories regarding its purpose, but most experts agree it was built as a tomb for Emperor Moghul's beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. She died during Akbar's 15th year on the throne and he ordered that she should be buried next to him when he died.
Monuments and Sculptures Made of Marble Agra, India's Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal, a world marvel, was erected 400 years ago in honour of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan's loving wife Mumtaj. 2 The Parthenon in Athens, Greece. 3 Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. 4 In Israel, the Dome of the Rock. 5 Mdina Cathedral....
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The Taj Mahal, an enormous mausoleum of white marble erected in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in remembrance of his favorite wife, is the gem of Muslim art in India and one of the world's most recognized masterpieces. The tomb has been described as a "miniature city" with its own government, economy, and culture that flourished for over a century after Shah Jahan's death. It is estimated that there are more than 50 million stones used in its construction.
Shah Jahan had only one daughter who was married to his nephew. When she died giving birth to a son, who later became the next emperor, Shah Jahan built this monument as a tribute to her. The location of the building activity of the Taj Mahal has been debated among historians; some say it was built entirely from marble brought from all over Asia while others claim that it is mostly limestone with some marble incorporated into the design. No matter what type of stone it is made of, the monument is considered one of the wonders of the world and is still being improved upon today by new rulers like Bhagwan Singh, who took control of the country in 1990.
Marble is a generic name given to a variety of dense, hard, fine-grained sedimentary rocks containing many small crystals or grains of quartz or other minerals.
The Taj Mahal, located in Agra, is a white marble mausoleum erected by Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1648 in remembrance of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It was built by 20,000 workers and portrays the Islamic garden of heaven. It is often recognized as the pinnacle of Mughal architecture. The building takes the form of a large symmetrical dome with four equal sides containing 154 smaller domes supported by columns with Ionic and Corinthian orders. The overall plan is based on that of a square with each side measuring 46 meters (151 feet). The construction cost about £6.5 million ($11.3 million) at today's prices.
Shah Jahan was married to two other women before marrying Mumtaz Mahal. His first two marriages ended in divorce but he refused to remarry. He promised God that if granted another chance at marriage, then only after this marriage would he be able to commit himself to someone else. Mumtaz Mahal died within three years of their wedding. This made Shah Jahan so sad that he ordered the building of this monument as a reminder of her memory.
The tomb was designed by Fardin Khan, who also designed the Lahore Fort. It took almost twenty years to complete because of various problems including wars, rebellions, and financial difficulties. However, despite all its problems, the monument still stands today as one of the greatest works of human creativity.