Taj Mahal is a Brazilian quartzite. The look of this white quartzite is similar to that of the Italian Calacatta marbles, but it is more harder and more durable. It may be utilized for kitchen counters without the scratching and etching difficulties that marble has. Its durability makes it a good choice for high-traffic areas such as restaurants or bars.
The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is said that he ordered the building of this monument after seeing a stunning vision of her death upon reading his first love letter. Construction on the Taj Mahal started in 1632 and was completed in 1653. It is believed that during its construction, 20,000 workers were employed on the project at any given time.
The rock used to build the Taj Mahal was obtained from several sources including Agra Fort, which was used to store weapons and ammunition for the Mughals; however, most of the rock came from Haripur, located about 200 miles away from Agra. There are two types of quartzite found in India: greenstone and soapstone. Greenstone is much softer than soapstone and can be easily worked with tools; however, it tends to stain when exposed to moisture or blood. Soapstone on the other hand is very hard and difficult to work with tools.
The Taj Mahal is a white marble structure built in remembrance of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is regarded as the "crown of palaces" in Arabic. It is regarded to be the crown jewel of Islamic art in a largely Hindu country. The building takes its name from Mumtaz, which means "the beloved." It was originally called the "Meru Temple" but later became known as the Taj Mahal after it was decided that this was the name more commonly used abroad.
There are several theories about the origin of the name Taj Mahal. One theory says that it comes from the Sanskrit word Tada Jaya, which means "a thousand years of happiness." Another theory says that the name comes from the Persian words Tayyib mahal, which means "a beautiful house." Yet another theory says that the name comes from the Hindi word Taaj Maale, which means "great monument." But the most popular theory is that the name comes from the Sanskrit word Tatajaiva, which means "the destroyer of grief."
The Taj Mahal was constructed over the course of many years at a cost of nearly £20 million (or $300 million) by the royal family of India during the 16th century as a mausoleum for their favorite wife. It was designed by the Indian architect Haji Firuz and completed in 1648.
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 Fatai Hasan ezhuth who also designed the Shahjahanabad (now Delhi) city fortifications. The project was initiated in 1632 by Mumtaz Mahal's husband Shah Jahan when she was pregnant with their tenth child. She died four years later, at the age of 36, and was buried next to her husband in Agra Fort.
Hasan used his knowledge of Mughal architecture and its techniques to create a tomb that would outlive both its owners. He based the design on stories he had read about the tombs of the pharaohs which were described as "a palace in the sky". Although Mumtaz Mahal was not actually buried in the Taj Mahal, her body was placed inside a glass case that was covered by a gold-plated casing carved with images of flowers and trees. This was then enclosed in another case made of silver.
The construction site was surrounded by walls eight feet high and filled with running water from canals that fed into the Yamuna River. This prevented unwanted visitors and provided employment for local people who worked on the project for several years.
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