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| English: eternal love symbol (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Taj mahal Gem of Gems
The Taj Mahal (Crown of the Palace) was built in Agra, India, for Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved wife of Emperor Shah Jahaan. ‘One of the Seven Wonders Of The World’ it is considered the greatest masterpiece of Indo-Islamic architecture, the mausoleum was constructed during the years 1632-1648. With a characterization as distinct as that of the Tower of Pisa, the Pyramids or the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal has become an icon for the country in which it stands.
The setting for the Taj Mahal in Agra, is not far from Delhi in north central India, the famous mausoleum was inspired by his grief at her death of his beloved wife at the age of 37. The stricken emperor and the entire empire fell into two years of mourning during which all festivities were banned. He soon recovered to begin planning the project which would occupy his thoughts— day and night years after years….. Over 20,000 finest artisans [karigars], artists and architects workers from all over his empire in India, Middle East, all Asia and beyond, were summoned.
For constructing the mausoleum materials from all over Asia were used. Altogether, 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones were used to built the white marble monument, the most translucent marbles, jade and crystal from China, turquoise from Tibet, the lapis lazuli came from Afghanistan, the turquoise was from Tiber, the sapphire from Sri Lanka the carnelian and coral were brought from Saudi Arabia, onyx ,amethyst from Persia. The finest inlays and rarest stones; jasper from Punjab was used. An expert in dome construction came from Istanbul, a stone cutter from Bukhara, a calligrapher from Baghdad, a master metal worker from far off Bordeaux were all appointed who labored for over 17 – 22 years, to turn ‘The Monument of Love’ into reality.
The Taj Mahal sits on a raised platform surrounded by four minarets against the backdrop of southern bank of the Jumna River. The unique Mughal style combines elements of Persian, Central Asian, and Islamic architecture. Most impressive are the black and white chessboard marble floor, the four tall minarets (40 m high) at the corners of the structure, and the majestic dome in the middle. On closer look, the lettering of the Qur'an verses around the archways appears to be uniform, regardless of their height. The lettering spacing and density has been customized to give a unique impression of awesomeness to the beholder. The impressive pietra dura artwork includes geometric elements, plants and flowers, studded with real gemstones mostly common in Islamic architecture.
The central garden is bisected by a clear pool in which the reflection of the mausoleum can be seen. The mausoleum is in the northern rectangle next to the river, flanked by a symmetrically identical mosque and a reception hall. Both are built of red sandstone as if to set off the glow of the white mausoleum. The bulbous dome tapers to a point surmounted by the crescent of Islam more than 240 feet above the garden. The southern area holds the service buildings, stables, guard houses and the gateway.
Although Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal are actually buried in a crypt below the floor, this room contains two sarcophagi. They are surrounded by a perforated marble screen, itself a master piece of "incredible labor of delicate art and delicacy." It is like the glow within a jewel, the final touch of near perfection which makes the Taj Mahal,breathtaking beautiful.
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