Taj Mahal (building)

The Taj Mahal is an enormous structure, originally constructed as a tomb, in Agra, India, across from the River Yamuna. Shah Jahan built the tomb across from his own palace in the 1600s to honor his late wife. The building is an important example of Islamic architecture and includes many themes common among Islamic buildings of the 1500s and early 1600s. Tens of thousands of workers and hundreds of animals labored for almost two decades to complete the massive project. Today, the enormous white marble building is one of the most well-known structures in the world, and millions of people visit the site each year. The term Taj Mahal means “crown of palaces.”

Background

Shah Jahan was the emperor of northern India in the 1630s. The shah commissioned the building of the Taj Mahal in 1632 after one of his wives, Mumtaz Mahal, died giving birth to her fourteenth child. According to legend, when she was dying, Mumtaz asked Shah Jahan to build something to signify their love for one another. Shah Jahan was devastated by the death of his wife and began to commission multiple buildings in her honor. The most significant undertaking was a huge mausoleum across from his palace in Agra.

Creating a building as elaborate and enormous as the Taj Mahal required a nearly endless number of artistic talent along with funds and resources. Shah Jahan had such resources because he was part of a line of Muslim rulers called the Mughals, who ruled in the region from the early 1500s to the mid-1800s. Shah Jahan had taken power in the region in 1628 after engaging in a power struggle with his brother. Shah Jahan himself was ousted from power by his own son. He lived the rest of his life as a prisoner in his castle. After he died, he was buried next to Mumtaz Mahal in the Taj Mahal. However, legend states that Shah Jahan planned to build himself a black Taj Mahal so that he and Mumtaz could each have a spectacular tomb.

Overview

The construction of the Taj Mahal lasted from 1632 to 1648. Thousands of artists, builders, masons, and other professionals came from India and other parts of Asia to assist in building the Taj Mahal. Roughly twenty thousand workers helped to construct the Taj Mahal, which included its main building and adjoining structures. The team also used roughly one thousand elephants during the years of construction. The materials needed to construct the building, including the white marble and semiprecious stones used as decoration, came from many different parts of India. The emperor spared no expense for his project.

The designers of the project set the white tomb back so that it stood apart from the rest of the site. They constructed the tomb on a large platform. The tomb itself sits in the middle of the base, which is constructed of pink sandstone. Four minarets, which are tall, slender towers common in Islamic architecture, surround the main building. The building has a large dome at the center that is on a platform so that visitors can see its entire structure. Smaller domes surround the center dome, and such domes are also a common feature of Islamic architecture. The entire structure of the white tomb was actually constructed using red bricks and mortar. Then, large pieces of white marble were affixed to the outside of the structure using large screws. The structure’s white marble is decorated in many places with stylized floral patterns and Arabic calligraphy, both of which are important elements in Islamic architecture. A finial at the top of the dome helps symbolize the different faiths of the region. It has a crescent to symbolize Islam and a crescent formed into the shape of a trident to symbolize the Hindu god Shiva.

Although the main part of the Taj Mahal is the easily identifiable white building, the project also included other structures, and the entire grounds of the Taj Mahal cover 3 acres. A large gate made of red stone stands in front of the building, and visitors must pass through the gate to visit the tomb. A mosque, a water fountain, and gardens also surround the Taj Mahal’s main building. Although the Taj Mahal is today a tourist site that attracts thousands of visitors, it is still a tomb, with Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal buried inside. The couple’s tombs are made from white marble and have inlaid flowers and Arabic calligraphy, similar to other parts of the building.

Up to 40,000 visitors arrive at the Taj Mahal each day to see this classic piece of Islamic architecture. Although many of the visitors are international, most are Indians who want to visit one of the most important historic sites in their country. The site was named a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site in 1982. This designation helps protect the monument and emphasizes the cultural importance of the building and its surrounding structures. It is also considered one of the seven wonders of the world.

Caring for this important and well-loved building requires a huge staff and large investments. Because tens of thousands of people pass through the site each day, the building requires a great deal of upkeep. Restoration work is constantly being done on the site to maintain its beauty and strength. Many of those hired to work on such restorations are descendants of the artisans who first built the Taj Mahal. The Archaeological Survey of India oversees the restoration projects, which include cleaning the parts of the white marble exterior that have been stained by air pollution, repairing cracked tiles, and thwarting interior vegetation growth due to rain and subsequent moisture. Scientists also study the building to help ensure that it can withstand the wear and tear that occurs because so many tourists visit the site each year.

Bibliography

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