Taj Mahal now. Taj Mahal Mausoleum: An Eternal Love Story. Where is the Taj Mahal
This grandiose mausoleum is called a monument of immortal love, and for many centuries everyone has been worried about it. romantic story creation. The Taj Mahal, recognized as one of the seven new wonders of the world, has been under the protection of UNESCO since 1983. The most famous of India, which has no analogues in the whole world, characterizes a whole era of the reign of the emperor.
The sadness and tenderness expressed in stone make all travelers stop in admiration before the majestic masterpiece of art, which tells about amazing love.
History of creation
The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in the city of Agra. It was erected by order of the grandson of the ruler of the country, Shah Jahan, who dreamed of fulfilling the will of his wife who died during childbirth.
They are all trials, including eternity. It is surprising that the historical chronicles recorded the tender and romantic relationship between the ruler and his wife, whom the emperor affectionately called the Taj Mahal, which means “pride of the palace”. For Muslims, this is a rarity, because strong love is most often manifested in them for God and the homeland, but not for a woman.
ancient legends
A beautiful legend says that after the tragic death of his beloved, the emperor did not leave the chambers for a week, and when the subjects saw their master, they did not recognize him: he had aged several years and became gray-haired. Shah Jahan renounced the throne, indulging in great grief for his wife, who had gone forever.
True, there is a not so romantic version that tells that the ruler was overthrown by his own son, explaining his behavior by the fact that grandiose projects father ruin the country. But this is no longer very important for posterity, because the value of the world-famous monument does not diminish from this.
Oath fulfilled
Shah Jahan remembered how the mother of his children once asked to build beautiful palace. Distraught with grief, the ruler vowed to build the most luxurious tomb in the world. In memory of his wife, a large-scale construction of a magnificent building began.
Thus, thanks to the official records made by the subjects of the Muslim king, we became aware official history creation. The Taj Mahal is considered one of the most expensive buildings in the world, on which huge amounts of money were spent.
Rest of life spent in prison
There is another legend about the desire of the emperor to build a second similar structure, but he did not have time to do it. And all that was left for him after his own son overthrew him was to look sadly from the small window of the dungeon at the stone work of art that became the tomb of his departed wife until the end of his life.
Masterpiece of world art
The construction of the Taj Mahal, the photo of which only to a small extent conveys the grandeur and scale of a work of world art, began in 1632. More than 20 thousand workers gathered from all over the country took part in the construction. About them future fate few people know, but, according to legend, so that the masters would not tell anyone the secrets of the construction of the mausoleum, they were all executed after the completion of the work.
The vending piece of land on which they erected luxury palace, did not belong to the emperor, but he bartered it from a subject to build a monument to his love. The builders filled deep wells with special mortar and stones to protect the structure from collapse due to the proximity of groundwater, and raised the foundation by 50 meters. Marble blocks were placed in the base for special reliability.
Perennial construction
For more than 12 years, the phased construction of the Taj Mahal in the city of Agra (India) has been going on. Especially for facing the mausoleum, the purest marble was brought on elephants from one province of the empire, and the construction of other structures from it was strictly prohibited.
To feed the workers, tirelessly building a luxurious monument day and night, they were brought grain, intended for shipment to the provinces, and a terrible famine began in the country, which led to an unstable financial situation.
Visual effects
Interestingly, the Taj Mahal, whose photo evokes a feeling of admiration even among the most indifferent to architecture, was designed taking into account optical illusions, which were very unusual for that time.
To get to the palace, you first need to go through the arch leading to the heritage of world culture. And here an interesting visual effect arises: as you approach it, the building seems to be moving away. The same thing happens when exiting the arch, when the Taj Mahal seems to be in some unknown way much closer than before.
Another one optical illusion, which misleads visitors: it seems to them that the minarets located next to the mausoleum were built in parallel. In fact, they deviate slightly to the sides, and such a project was justified by protecting the palace in case of earthquakes. Huge towers would not have damaged the mausoleum, but would have fallen next to it. Amazing but seismic dangerous place avoided cataclysms.
Tombs under the mausoleum
There are lines in the Quran that the peace of a dead person must not be disturbed. Under the main dome of the mausoleum there is a tomb, which in fact is not one. Fearing that someone would dare to disturb his beloved wife, the emperor ordered her to be buried in a secret hall located under a unique masterpiece. After the death of Shah Jahan, his remains found shelter next to his wife.
Jewelry box
Surprisingly beautiful from the inside uniting several architectural styles Indian Taj Mahal. The decoration of the walls of the luxurious halls is made according to Italian technologies. Colorful patterns of gems make the mausoleum a real treasury that stores jewels. Stones were delivered from the most different corners countries, and even ambassadors came to Russia to purchase malachite, which was valued in the country.
The dividing palace
Built in accordance with the ideas of Islam about the afterlife, the famous Taj Mahal mausoleum is divided into two parts. The four courtyards of the caravanserai and the bazaar streets refer to earthly existence, while the mausoleum itself and the Garden of Eden belong to the other world. By the way, all the income received from trade went to maintain the palace.
It is believed that the arch in front of the mausoleum and beautiful pond, laid in the middle of the main path, personify the transition of a person to another world.
Who is the author of the masterpiece?
Researchers cannot accurately name the architects of the amazing masterpiece. It is well established that foreigners did not take part in the design of the mausoleum. And some experts are sure that the ruler himself acted as the main author, because he was famous for his education and sense of style.
The architecture of the mausoleum expresses the basic principles of the era: strict lines and a symmetrical layout make the earthly building look like a heavenly palace.
majestic complex
The complex itself consists of a tomb, mirrored four watchtowers- minarets, from the tops of which they called, announcing the beginning of prayers. On the sides of the mausoleum are two mosques made of compressed sand. A most The territory of the monument of art is occupied by an amazing park with a pond, which reflects a perfect example of art. At the end of the green corridor, visitors are greeted by the luxurious Taj Mahal.
Color solution
The color design of the pearl is also noteworthy. The buildings related to earthly life are made of fiery red sandstone, and the snow-white mausoleums symbolize faith in life after death.
It is interesting to watch the play of light when the sun's rays at dawn or sunset paint the walls in delicate colors.
Contemporary Issues
Thousands of tourists, for whom the masterpiece is a symbol of India, visit the Taj Mahal. The country is proud national treasure, A local authorities very concerned about the preservation of attractions for posterity. Unfortunately, architectural monument with a huge history settles and becomes covered with cracks.
Former capital of the Mughal Empire Agra (India) - densely populated city with bad environmental situation. Polluted air causes the marble to turn yellow, and periodically, to improve the appearance of the building, it is rubbed with white clay. In addition, the cladding also suffers from pigeons settling under the dome.
All visitors are carefully screened before entering. It is forbidden to bring lighters, cigarettes, food, Cell phones and even chewing gum. Therefore, it is not recommended to take these things with you.
On Fridays, tourists are not allowed to enter the Taj Mahal, as Muslims gather in the nearby mosque in Agra to pray.
Symbol of immortality
The world masterpiece, included in the list of new wonders of the world, continues to excite the minds with the special beauty of architectural lines and the luxury of decoration, and the sad story of creation worries creative people and all lovers.
The Taj Mahal is stunning at first sight, and every visitor touches the eternity imprinted in marble. The ancient landmark, which has become a symbol of fidelity and immortality, will remain forever in the memory, and the heart will retain unforgettable impressions from what he saw.
Taj Mahal is probably the most famous and most attractive tourist attraction in India. And it is clear why - he is stunningly beautiful. He is a miracle. Many people want to see it, and from 3 to 5 million tourists visit it every year. Although from a formal point of view, the Taj Mahal represents not Indian, but Persian architecture. But it was he who calling card India.
As you know, the Taj Mahal was built at the behest of the king of the Mughal empire Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in her 14th childbirth.
Yes, by today's standards I would not give birth to this child, there are already more than enough children. And they would live happily ever after.
But then who would have known about the 3rd wife of the fifth Mughal padishah. And so the inconsolable Shah Jahan (which means "lord of the world") ordered to build a tomb for his beloved. Which was built over 20 years (from 1630 to 1652) by about 20,000 workers under the guidance of architects from all over the Muslim world. Up to a thousand elephants and many horses and oxen were used to transport goods in construction.
Snow-white marble was brought for construction over 300 km, and other materials for the construction of the tomb were delivered not only from all over India, but also from abroad.
When the Taj Mahal was built, the problem of dismantling scaffolding and auxiliary structures was solved, as after the construction of our Winter Palace. Namely, they allowed the surrounding residents to pick up these materials for free. Which was done in a very short time (according to legend - in one night).
The names of the architects who led the creation of the miracle are known. These are Deshenov-Anu, Makramat Khan and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. The Persian Lakhauri is usually considered the main author of the project. According to another version, the Turk Isa Mohammed Efendi was the chief architect.
There is a legend that the masters who performed the miracle were blinded and their hands were cut off so that nothing like this could be done. But it seems to be just a legend, there is no evidence for it.
So much was spent on the construction of the Taj Mahal that the treasury was practically empty, and the huge and richest state of the Mughals began to decline. I doubt it. Painfully rich country India.
However, after the completion of the construction, Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned. The construction of the same, but black mausoleum, symmetrical to the white one, on the other side of the Janma River, was stopped. About the black mausoleum, many researchers say that this is just a legend. But agree, beautiful. And judging by the obsession of the creators of the mausoleum with the idea of symmetry, and plausible.
Aurangzeb, although he kept his father in prison for 20 years, nevertheless buried him next to Mumtaz Mahal, his beloved wife and his mother. And Shah Jahan's tombstone, which is larger than Mumtaz Mahal's tombstone, is the only thing not symmetrical in the fully symmetrical Taj Mahal.
But the pitiful story that Shah Jahan spent 20 years in captivity in the Red Fort, looking out of the window at the mausoleum of his beloved, is just a legend. Yes, he was imprisoned in the Red Fort, but not in Agra, but in, 250 km from Agra.
The Taj Mahal, as the Mughal state declined, also began to slowly fall into disrepair.
The British, who captured India after the Mughals, even though they were civilized and educated, were slowly picking out semi-precious stones from the walls of the mausoleum. And with them, his golden spire was replaced with an exact bronze copy.
After Indian independence, the Taj Mahal became the most important museum, and in 1983 was declared an object world heritage UNESCO.
Due to the excess concentration of harmful substances in the air, marble darkens. But every year the Taj Mahal is cleaned, and, to my untrained eye, it looks great. The shallowing of the Janma River and, as a result, the subsidence of soils at the base of the mausoleum causes concern.
And further. Hindu nationalists say that the Taj Mahal is not an Indian work, that it was built on the site of a destroyed Hindu temple and therefore it should be demolished. How serious this is is evidenced by the fact that the Vice Prime Minister of the Indian Republic had to visit the Taj Mahal and after that make a statement that it is very beautiful and, since it was built by the Indians, it is an Indian creation.
Excursion to the Taj Mahal
The morning was somewhat foggy. What was alarming, because they write on the Internet that in winter you can not see the Taj Mahal at all because of the fog. As one tourist wrote: “I could only feel it.”
We were brought on a bus with an electric motor to the box office of the Taj Mahal. Cars with internal combustion engines cannot be used there, so as not to pollute the air.
We bought tickets, for foreigners they cost 1000 rupees, this is the most expensive excursion in the tour "".
We were checked no less strictly than when boarding an airplane, with passing through the frame and feeling.
At the entrance there are huge red gates with 11 small turrets. This is a characteristic feature of Muslim buildings in India: the walled courtyard can be entered through gates with turrets.
After passing through a relatively small arch, you finally come to the Mausoleum. Here is the first miracle: when you go through the arch, the Taj Mahal seems huge and occupies the entire opening, and when you go out, you see that it is far away, and it seems small. This is where the first "ah" comes in.
To the Taj Mahal, you walk along an elongated rectangular pool, the bottom of which is painted blue. That's why the water looks blue. Water, we must pay tribute, is transparent, which is very difficult to achieve in the tropics. But the bottom of the pool is not very clean.
The paths leading to the mausoleum are lined with low cypress trees, and mowed lawns are laid out along them. They say that initially rose flower beds were laid out here, and lawns are already an English innovation. The English do not know anything more beautiful than smooth lawns, but here, I think, roses would be better.
The Taj Mahal is best viewed from afar. What can I say: a miracle - it is a miracle, it must be seen.
Before you go up to the mausoleum itself, you need to put on the white shoe covers issued when buying a ticket.
When you approach, the seams between the marble blocks become visible, the minarets become like ordinary lighthouses. The Taj Mahal is not perceived in parts, it does not fall apart. It must be seen in its entirety.
From the high platform paved with marble slabs around the mausoleum, the unattractive Dzhamna River with muddy water is visible. The river from the side of the mausoleum and from the opposite bank is fenced with barbed wire. When we were there, a dead cow lay in the water near the shore. They say that now it will not work to admire the Taj Mahal from the other side. “The army lives there,” the guide said.
But the Taj Mahal is also beautiful nearby. Impressive patterns of marble and mosaics from the floor precious stones. Decorate the walls and elegant Arabic inscriptions.
Photography is not allowed inside the mausoleum. But I did not understand this and took several shots until they told me. However, there is nothing special inside. There are 2 tombstones, a larger one - the Shah, a smaller one - Mumtaz Mahal. Light penetrates through the openwork marble gratings, but it is not enough. Inside is darkness.
On the sides of the mausoleum there are 2 more symmetrical buildings. One is a functioning mosque, the other is a caravanserai, or, in Russian, a hotel. They are also not bad, but no comparison with the mausoleum.
Taj Mahal- one of the most beautiful palaces not only in, but throughout the world; mosque-mausoleum in Agra, dedicated to the beloved wife of Shah Jahan I - Mumtaz Mahal. Thanks to the verified architecture, the mausoleum turned out to be surprisingly beautiful and organic. If you look at its snow-white domes for a long time, it seems that it seems to be floating in the air. Taj Mahal is included in the version of our site.
In fact, this palace is the personification of beautiful and lasting love, about which there are many legends among the people. According to one of them, this romantic story began after the padishah met Mumtaz Mahal in the city market and was so blinded by her beauty that he offered to become his third wife, later beloved. According to another version, the girl was a distant relative of the ruler on the maternal side, or the daughter of his father's vizier.
In any case, Sha-Jahan was so attached to her that he did not part until her death. Together they lived for about 17 years. The girl died while giving birth to their 14th child. The name of Mumtaz Mahal was named by her father-in-law, the padishah Jahangir, and it meant "decoration of the palace." They say that after the death of his beloved Shah Jahan never recovered. As a sign of his endless love, he ordered the construction of a mausoleum for her. He himself was also buried in the Taj Mahal, but much later.
The construction of the palace lasted from 1631 to 1653. More than 20 thousand workers worked on it, among which were the best calligraphers from Persia and Syria, Indian inlay masters, sculptors from Bukhara and other specialists. They say that the doors were originally cast from pure silver, but for so many centuries, the Taj Mahal has been looted more than once. Despite this, the palace has not lost its former gloss and is ranked among the most beautiful buildings in the world.
The place for construction on the banks of the Jumna River was chosen with the exact expectation of a long existence. For so many years, not a single earthquake has damaged the palace. The architecture of the Taj Mahal shows a mixture of Islamic, Indian and Persian architecture, which gives it a special royalty. An irrigation canal leads to the tomb, in which the contours of the structure are reflected. The height of the main dome is 73 meters. Despite this, the mausoleum seems surprisingly elegant and light.
Tourists visiting India certainly go to Agra to look at this "pearl" islamic architecture, take a picture of it and even visit the inner chambers, where two white marble sarcophagi covered with calligraphy are kept. These are the tombs of Shah Jahan and his beloved wife. The Crowned Palace looks especially spectacular in the morning haze of fog, at night and during the flood of the river. The gardens adjacent to the building are no less picturesque.
Millions of tourists come here every year. The doors of the Taj Mahal are open every day except Friday and the month of Ramadan. You can get from Delhi to Agra both by train and by bus. The distance between cities is about 250 km. From Goa is better just get there by plane.
You can't fly over it. It can be accessed at night, but only on a full moon. All the architects who worked on it were killed. This is the Taj Mahal. Heart of India.
History of the Taj Mahal in India
The Taj Mahal was built in honor of a woman. Who was very loved and who died. A descendant of Khan Tamerlane, the Emperor of the Great Mongols Shah Jahan ordered the construction of a palace in honor of his late wife Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal is translated as "the chosen one of the palace." According to the traditions of that time, the khan had a huge harem, but he only loved his wife.
The silhouette of the Taj Mahal in India is instantly recognizable by people in all corners of the world. This is one of the most photographed buildings in history. Made from white marble, decorated with gold and semi-precious stones, this building testifies to the wealth of the state and the skill of the masters of the 17th century. And, of course, great love.
It is not surprising that the Taj Mahal on the map of India is the most popular place. More than 3 million people visit it every year.
Shah Jahan and his Love
Contemporaries called Shah Jahan the ruler of the world. He ruled his empire for 30 years and during this time the country came to a cultural and political flourishing.
When Shah was a fifteen year old boy, he met a girl in the market. She was 14, she sold trinkets. It was Arju-mand Banu Begam. From this meeting, the history of the Taj Mahal in India began. According to legend, young lovers immediately fell in love with each other. But the shah was forced to enter into a marriage that was beneficial to the dynasty. His wife was a Persian princess. The first of the four allowed by Islam. The second time Shah married his beloved. The new name - Mumtaz Mahal - was given to her by her father-in-law, the great Khan Jahangir.
The relationship of the young couple was cloudless, trusting and tender. According to contemporaries, the emperor's wife was beautiful and wise. And also bold. Pregnant, she accompanied him on a campaign and died in childbirth. This was to be their fourteenth child. Mumtaz Mahal was 39 years old.
True or not, at the time of death, the woman allegedly asked her lover to fulfill her two wishes. First, he does not marry again, so as not to create enmity between the heirs. And the second is to build a mausoleum in her honor, the equal of which the world has not yet seen. The emperor promised to fulfill both requests and kept his word.
After the death of his wife, the ruler locked himself in his room for eight days, did not drink or eat. During this time, he has aged a lot. And when he left, he began to create the most majestic mausoleum of India called the Taj Mahal.
Palace construction
The best craftsmen from Baghdad, Istanbul, Samarkand and many other cities came to the emperor's call. Everyone presented their project. More than others, the ruler liked the sketches drawn by the Iranian Ystad Usa. Famous architect at that time. How and who built the Taj Mahal in India according to its layout, Ystad Usa never saw. He was blinded so he wouldn't do anything like that again. It is possible, of course, that this is fiction and the poor architect was not injured. It is also known that, in addition to design work French and Venetian masters were also involved.
The palace was founded in Agra in 1632. Only 10 years later, work on the central building was completed.
Architectural features of the Taj Mahal
The palace in India, the Taj Mahal, is a whole complex of structures. Here are the main ones:
- the mausoleum itself (a five-domed temple, the largest dome resembles a flower bud; the height of the entire structure is 74 m);
- four minarets (they were designed and installed at a slight slope from the tomb, so that in case of a fall they would not touch it);
- two identical sandstone buildings;
- garden (and in it fountains and a pool);
- huge gates (according to Muslim beliefs, they seem to lead from the realm of the senses to the realm of the spirit, they symbolize the gates to paradise; right behind the gate, you can see the mausoleum, which is reflected in the water of the pool; the doors were originally silver, later they were replaced with copper ones).
A staircase leads to the mausoleum. Since the Taj Mahal in India is also a kind of mosque, it is customary to take off your shoes at the entrance. The building is lined with marble. It is translucent and polished. It was necessary to deliver marble for 300 km. It reflects light amazingly - in the morning it looks pink, in the afternoon - white, and at night - silvery.
On the windows and on the arches there are openwork lattices, in the passages surahs from the Koran are carved with black marble. The walls are covered with gilding, marble mosaics and ornaments. 1.5 thousand tons of diamonds, pearls, agate, carnelian, malachite and turquoise went to it. In the center of the mausoleum are marble screens, and behind them are tombs. They always have fresh flowers. But these tombs are false, empty. The bodies of the Shah and his wife are under the building, in the crypt.
The Taj Mahal in India took 22 years to build. It took the work of 20 thousand builders. The work on the temple was carried out by the best masters - sculptors from Bukhara, Syrian calligraphers, jewelers from South India.
Later, the temple was looted and many precious stones disappeared.
The park around the mausoleum is also very beautiful. The paths are paved with marble. The pool, which is located in front of the main entrance, is lined with cypresses. In these parts they are considered to be trees of sorrow.
At the entrance to the garden stands a red sandstone mosque. It has eleven domes and two minarets.
The whole complex stands on the banks of the Jamuna River. The mausoleum is reflected in the water ripples. The image is fuzzy, it evokes thoughts about the unearthly nature of the Taj Mahal. In the morning at dawn, fog rises over the river and the palace seems to soar in the clouds.
The fate of Shah Jahan
The emperor completed the construction of the beautiful palace India's Taj Mahal and was about to take on the next one. The shah himself wanted to build the same mausoleum on the opposite bank of the river, but of black marble. And connect both complexes with a bridge. This bridge was supposed to symbolize the victory of love over death.
But the emperor's health failed him. He planned to transfer the government of the country to the first son, with whom they were close. But this was prevented by the intrigues of the second son of the Shah. He spread gossip that his father was out of his mind and that he was not allowed to choose an heir on his own. It was the second son who ascended the throne. He got rid of his brothers, and imprisoned his father. Where exactly did the fallen emperor spend his last years exactly unknown. Most historians are inclined to believe that he was kept in the Red Fort. This building is opposite the mausoleum, on the opposite bank of the river. Shah spent the last eight years of his life there. I could admire the Taj Mahal and remember my beloved. Together with her, he is buried in the crypt of the palace.
The fate of the Taj Mahal
The descendants did not treat the mausoleum with the same trepidation as its creator. Two centuries later, the palace was perceived more as a place for entertainment, and not as a shrine. Girls could afford to dance on the terrace, and rich young couples came to Agra, a city in India, near the Taj Mahal, to celebrate their wedding. The mosque and the guest house on the territory of the complex could easily be rented.
Following the Indians themselves, the British colonialists continued to plunder the Taj Mahal. They took stones, carpets and even doors. They easily came to the palace with a hammer and a chisel, so that it would be more convenient to tear out jewelry. At one point, the Governor General of India even planned to demolish the Taj Mahal and put the marble up for sale. The palace was saved by the fact that at that time there were no buyers.
The mausoleum was even more destroyed during the Indian uprising of 1857 and by the end of the 19th century it was in complete decline. The garden is overgrown, the graves are defiled.
Another governor-general took over the restoration. Lord Curzon. The restoration of the Taj Mahal was completed in 1908.
The next danger came to the Palace already in the second half of the 20th century. Agra - the city of India, next to the Taj Mahal - has become industrial center. Acid rain poured down on the Taj Mahal, ruining the marble. Only at the end of the 90s, the Indian authorities ordered to transfer all harmful industries from Agra.
Now the Taj Mahal is main character India. A tear on the cheek of eternity.
The Taj Mahal is known all over the world and has been attracting many tourists for 350 years. The silhouette, familiar from countless photographs, has become a symbol of India. It seems that the Taj Mahal is floating between heaven and earth: its proportions, symmetry, surrounding gardens and a mirror of waters make an unprecedented impression.
The monument erected by the Sultan in honor of his beloved wife not only impresses with its appearance, but also the history that accompanied the construction of the mausoleum.
History of the Taj Mahal mausoleum
In 1612, Prince Khurram (the future ruler of Shah Jahan, whose name means "Lord of the Universe"), married the beautiful Mumtaz Mahal. According to one version, the future princess was a commoner, but the prince, seeing her eyes, simply could not resist. According to another, more probable version, Mumtaz Mahal was the niece of Jahan's mother and the daughter of the first vizier.
The lovers could not get married right away: local tradition the wedding ceremony could only take place with a favorable arrangement of the stars, so Shah Jahan and his beloved had to wait have a good day for five whole years, during which they never saw each other.
Shah Jahan ascended the throne in 1628. As befits a ruler, he had a large number of wives, but Mumtaz Mahal remained the most beloved. She accompanied him even on distant military campaigns, was the only person whom he completely trusted.
In 1629, having given birth to the 14th child, the wife of the ruler of Shah Jahan, known as Mumtaz Mahal ("Chosen by the Palace"), died. It happened in a tent pitched in a camp near Burkhanpur
She was 36 years old, of which 17 she was married. It should be noted that for a woman in those days it was a respectable age, and frequent childbirth undermined health. So a rare woman in India lived to be forty.
Sultan Shah Jahan was very sad, because he lost not only his beloved wife, but also a wise adviser who helped him in the most difficult political situations. There is evidence that he wore mourning for her for two years, and his hair turned gray from grief. The Sultan took an oath to build a grave monument worthy of the memory of his wife, completely unusual, with which nothing in the world can compare.
The city of Agra, which in the 17th century was considered the capital on a par with Delhi, was chosen as the place for the future mausoleum. The place was chosen surprisingly well: no one has yet caused serious damage to the mausoleum.
In 1632, construction began, which lasted more than 20 years. More than 20,000 workers were employed here. Many skilled masons, stone cutters and jewelers rushed to Agra from all over India and Western. Ismail Khan from designed the magnificent dome. Lines from the Holy Koran on various parts of the mausoleum - for example, at the main entrance to the Taj Mahal, were made by the famous calligrapher Amanat Khan Shirazi. The main executors of the mosaic work were five Hindus.
The chief architect Ustad (meaning "master") Isa Khan was given unlimited powers. It should be noted that not everyone agrees that it was Isa Khan who was the architect, assuring that she was not so technically advanced as to be able to independently build such a perfect temple. Supporters of this version say that most likely some invited Venetian master supervised the construction. Like it or not, now it is unlikely to be established. There is no information about who supervised the construction in any document. Only the inscription on the Taj Mahal itself remained, which reads: "The builder was not a mere mortal, for the construction plan was given to him by heaven."
At the direction of Shah Jahan, only the best were selected for the memorial in honor of his beloved wife. All materials for the mausoleum were delivered from afar. Sandstone was delivered to Agra from Sikri, semi-precious stones - from the mines of India, Persia and Central Asia. Jade was brought from, amethyst from, malachite from Russia, carnelian from Baghdad, turquoise from Persia and Tibet.
The white marble from which the Taj Mahal is made was delivered from the quarries of Makrana, located 300 kilometers from Agra. Some of the marble blocks were huge, and for transportation they were loaded into huge wooden carts, which were harnessed by several dozen buffaloes and oxen.
White marble is the basis of the entire Taj Mahal. From above, the walls were covered with thousands of precious and semi-precious stones, and black marble was used for calligraphic ornaments. It is thanks to this processing that the building is not pure white, as it is depicted in many photographs, but shimmers with many shades, depending on how the light falls on it.
Even in our time, the building of the mausoleum creates a feeling of unprecedented luxury, although earlier it looked even richer. Once the doors to the Taj Mahal were made of silver, with hundreds of small silver studs hammered into them. Inside there was a parapet of gold, and a cloth studded with pearls lay on the tomb of the princess, set on the very site of her burning. Unfortunately, it was all stolen. When Lord Lake occupied Agra in 1803, his dragoons carried 44,000 "tol" of pure gold from the Taj Mahal. British soldiers took out a lot of precious stones from the walls of the mausoleum. As Lord Curzon testifies, "It was customary for soldiers, armed with a chisel and hammer, to pick out precious stones from the tombstone of the emperor and his beloved wife in broad daylight." After becoming Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon introduced laws that saved the Taj Mahal and thousands of other monuments from total destruction.
When construction came to an end, in 1653, the aging ruler gave the order to proceed with the construction of a second building - a mausoleum for himself. The second mausoleum was supposed to be an exact copy of the first, but made of marble, and between the two mausoleums there was to be a black marble bridge. But the second mausoleum was never erected: the people began to grumble - the country was already impoverished from numerous internal wars, and the ruler spends a lot of money on such buildings.
In 1658, Aurangzeb's son seized power and kept his father under house arrest for nine years in Agra Fort, an octagonal tower. From there, Shah Jahan could see the Taj Mahal. Here, at dawn on January 23, 1666, Shah Jahan died, not taking his eyes off his beloved creation until the last moment. After his death, he was reunited with his beloved again - according to the will, he was buried next to, in the same crypt with Mumtaz Mahal.
Features of the structure of the Taj Mahal mausoleum
Airiness is created by proportions unusual for us - the height is equal to the width of the facade, and the facade itself is cut through by huge semicircular niches and seems weightless. The width of the building is equal to its overall height- 75 meters, and the distance from the floor level to the parapet above the arched portals is half the entire height. You can draw many more lines and discover a number of amazing patterns and correspondences in the proportions of the Taj Mahal, equal in height to a twenty-story building, but by no means overwhelming in size.
This absolutely symmetrical octagonal building is 57 meters in perimeter, it is topped by a central dome 24.5 meters high and 17 meters in diameter. When a giant dome was erected, for more convenient delivery of the necessary materials to great height According to the project of Ismail Khan, a sloping earth embankment 3.6 kilometers long was built.
The remains of Mumtaz Mahal are buried in a dungeon, just under the very center of a large white dome, shaped like a flower bud. The Mughals were followers of Islam, and in Islamic art, the dome points the way to heaven. An exact copy of the sarcophagus has been installed at the floor level so that visitors can honor the memory of the Empress without disturbing the peace in her tomb.
The entire park is surrounded by a fence on three sides. The entrance made of stone is decorated with a white patterned "portico", and "covered" with 11 domes on top, on the sides there are two towers, also crowned with white domes.
The Taj Mahal is located in the middle of a park (its area is almost 300 sq. m), which can be accessed through a large gate, symbolizing the entrance to paradise. The park is arranged in the form of a road that leads directly to the entrance to the Taj Mahal. In the middle of this "road" is a large marble pool, with an irrigation canal stretched to it. During the time of Shah Jahan, ornamental fish swam in the pool, and peacocks and other exotic birds strode solemnly along the paths. Guards, dressed in white clothes and armed with blowguns, guarded the garden from birds of prey.
The mausoleum is located in the center of a vast rectangular area (length 600 m, width 300 m). short north side runs along the banks of the Jumna River. WITH south side a third of the territory is occupied by outbuildings and ends with monumental gates leading inside the walled area that makes up most of the rectangle.
The facades of the mausoleum are decorated with sloping lancet arches. In addition, the so-called "stalactites" are used here - joints of small cantilever niches hanging over each other. Stalactites support projecting forms and are located at the base of the dome, in niches, under the cornices and on the capitals of the columns. They are made of plaster or terracotta and create an exceptionally subtle play of chiaroscuro.
A wide staircase leads to the very center of the facade. It is customary to leave shoes at its base, as before entering the temple.
The inside of the building is no less beautiful than the outside. The snow-white walls are decorated with stones and intricate patterns. Fourteen surahs from the Koran - a traditional decoration for Muslim architecture - are crowned with arches above the windows. On the walls are garlands of unfading stone flowers. In the center is a carved marble screen, behind which two false tombs are visible. In the very middle is placed the chamber of the tomb, which has a square with beveled corners in plan. The chamber contains the cenotaphs of the Taj Mahal and Shah Jahan, surrounded by an openwork marble fence.
Mausoleum Taj Mahal today
The Taj Mahal mausoleum is the most visited place in India. Thousands of tourists come here from all over the world. From all four sides of the mausoleum, police officers are on duty, who vigilantly monitor all visitors. They guard the entrance to the upper platforms of the mausoleum (before this passage was closed, dozens of suicides jumped from the minarets, most often the reason was unrequited love - symbolically, because the Taj Mahal is also called the "temple of love"). The police also make sure that tourists do not take pictures of the building up close, since the Taj Mahal is recognized as a national shrine.
It should be noted that scientists are seriously concerned about the future of the mausoleum. In October 2004, two Indian historians issued a warning that the Taj Mahal was tilting and could collapse or subside if the authorities in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where the famous mausoleum is located, did not occupy the area immediately adjacent to the monument of architecture. Of particular concern is the Jumna, located next to the Taj Mahal. This is due to the drying up of the riverbed. The Government of India has promised to allocate a sufficient amount for special works.
It is undeniably necessary to protect this architectural monument. After all, this is not only the most famous mausoleum, but also one of the most beautiful buildings on earth. traveler Edward Lear, who visited India in the middle of the 19th century, wrote in his diary: "All people in the world are divided into two groups - those who have seen the Taj Mahal, and those who have not been honored with this happiness."
