Taj Mahal: history and characteristics

Taj Mahal: history and characteristics

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built between 1631 and 1653 in the city of Agra, India, near the Yamuna River. Famous for immortalizing one of the most significant love stories known, it has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and has been on the list of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World since 2007.

The mausoleum was built by order of Emperor Shah Jahan in honor of the memory of his favorite wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal. It represents both the vision of the Islamic spiritual life of the monarch and his consort and the symbol of love made devotion, which only a monarch can materialize.

Taj Mahal. Note the open bays in the facade, which are called iwanes. The flanking structures at the corners are minarets. The roof is crowned by five domes (one main), topped by a finial each.

The name Taj Mahal means "crown of palaces". The mausoleum stood out among other similar constructions for having been built in white marble and precious stones, defying the tradition that funeral monuments were made of red sandstone. But also, aesthetically it is a synthesis of Arab, Indian, Mongolian, Persian, and Western elements.

We see the influence of Mongolian architecture in the use of minarets and towers. From Persian architecture, the Taj Mahal inherits symmetry, the central garden, the dome, and the iwan (vaulted rectangular base space with an arch, closed on three sides and open on one).

From the Hindu influence, it applies the colonnade of arches to the interior walls. From the West, he inherits the technique of marble relief and pietra dure (inlay of precious stones). Finally, from the Arabs, he applies calligraphy, abstract motifs, and a dualistic conception of space (earthly world / spiritual world).

History of the Taj Mahal

Emperor Sha Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.

Arjumand Banu Begum, from a noble Persian family in the city of Agra, married Emperor Shah Jahan at the age of 19.

With the marriage, Arjumand Banu Begum became part of the retinue of wives of the Muslim emperor. Jahan was madly in love with her, so he gave her the title of Mumtaz Mahal, which means 'the chosen one of the palace', he made her main adviser and carried her always with him.

The couple had thirteen children. But the last childbirth occurred while accompanying the emperor on an expedition, claimed the life of Mumtaz Mahal.

On her deathbed, Mumtaz Mahal made her husband promise to build her a mausoleum, which he did. Jahan embarked on a million-dollar company.

There were many names of architects, craftsmen, and artists who participated in this work. Among some of them we can mention:

• Concept design: Ustad Isa and Isa Muhammad Effendi.
• Dome: Ismail Khan.
• Cupola finial: Qazim Khan.
• Chief Sculptor and Mosaic Coordinator: Chiranjilal.
• Calligraphy: Amanat Khan of Shiraz.
• Masonry Foreman: Muhammad Hanif.

Together with these and other names, more than twenty thousand workers also worked. But Jahan's project plunged the empire into an economic crisis of such magnitude that it even caused a famine. Jahan's son had to rise up against him and dethrone him.

Jahan, now defeated, was detained in the Red Fort until the year 1666, when his death occurred. His remains are in the mausoleum next to Mumtaz Mahal.

Characteristics of the Taj Mahal

1. Mosque. 2. Mausoleum. 3. Jawab. 4. Center garden. 5. Fort or Darwaza and subsidiary tombs. 6. Entrance door. Photograph by Yosanon Yingyuenyong.

The Taj Mahal covers an area of ​​580 meters long by 305 meters wide. Its design is divided into three main parts: to the north, the mausoleum, and its adjoining structures. In the center, the gardens, and in the south, the entrance.

Two additional sections can also be considered: the Moonlight Garden, located on the other side of the Yamuna River, and the old grand bazaar.

Structure

1. Moonlight Garden. 2. The terrace (Mausoleum, Mosque and Jawab). 3. Charbagh Garden with pavilions. 4. The jilaukhana (includes Darwaza and two subsidiary tombs). 5. Taj Ganji, formerly a bazaar.

This architectural complex includes different structures. Namely:

Mumtaz Mahal Mausoleum: most important section of the complex. Its plan is square. The walls are identical, and its corners have a 33-meter arch, with inscriptions from the Koran.

The mausoleum is crowned by a dome 4 meters high and 40 meters in diameter, topped in turn by the water of 17.1 meters. The dome is surrounded by four octagonal towers.

Mosque: temple made of red sandstone, and is crowned by three domes. It flanks the main mausoleum on the west side. Its dimensions are 60 meters long and 30 meters wide. It is a place of worship.

Jawab (answer): flanks the mausoleum on the east side. It is a symmetrical structure that mirrors the mosque. For this reason, it is also made of red sandstone, its dimensions are 60 x 30 meters and it is crowned by three domes. But its use is different: it was possibly a house for pilgrims. It is believed that it could also have been built to achieve the architectural symmetry of the complex.

Fort or Darwaza: it is located at the main entrance. It is built in marble and is of Mongolian inspiration, as expressed by the four minarets that flank the fort complex.

Secondary tombs: section intended to house the bodies of the emperor's other wives and an additional tomb for Mumtaz's servant. They are located adjacent to the fort.

Gardens: they are a representation of life in the afterlife. The central garden has four canals that symbolize the four rivers of paradise. The pond was made for the purpose of reflecting the mausoleum. On the other side of the Yamuna River is the Garden of the Light of the Moon, through which the emperor took the boat to enter the complex. Towards the opposite side, the entrance garden, which formerly bordered on the bazaar.

Taj Mahal decoration

1. Arabic calligraphy. 2. Geometric motifs in the secondary tomb. 3. Top of the dome. 4. Floral decoration with stone inlays ( pietra dure). 5. Marble relief. 6. Iwan with various decorative motifs.

The decoration of the Taj Mahal stands out for its sumptuousness. Marble reliefs, inlay of precious stones in the rock ( pietra dura ), and all kinds of techniques are used both internally and externally. Among the precious stones used are lapiz lazuli, sapphires, agate, turquoise, etc.

There are geometric motifs, as well as florals throughout the building. Also noteworthy is the use of Arabic calligraphy with inscriptions from the Koran.

The Taj Mahal inside

Inside the Taj Mahal.

The interior spaces of the Taj Mahal are extremely rich in decoration, the same as the rest of the complex, but the details are much more abundant.

In these spaces are the cenotaphs or tombs in which the monarch and his consorts lie. Emperor Jahan was buried in the main cenotaph where Mumtaz Mahal lies. As this was not part of the original project, you can see how the symmetry was broken by including the monarch's cenotaph (see image above).

 

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