The Magnificent Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh, Agra District, India
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum in Agra, India that was built under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is considered as the finest example of Mughal architecture with is a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkisk, Indian and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.
The white domed marble and tile mausoleum is the most prominent, the Taj is an integrated symmetric complex of structures that was completed in 1648. The principal designer of the Taj is Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. The grief-stricken Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal Empire’s period of greatest prosperity, ordered the construction soon after the death of his third wife. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 with the surrounding buildings and gardens added later.
The focal point of the Taj mahal is the white marble tomb which stands on a square plinth. The base structure is large and multi-chambered. The base is essentially a cube with chamfered edges and is roughly 55 meters on each side. On the long sides, a massive pishtaq, or vaulted archway, frames the iwan with a similar arch-shaped balcony. On either side of the main arch, additional pishtaqs are stacked above and below. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on chamfered corner areas as well. The design is completely symmetrical on all sides of the building. Four minarets, one at each corner of the plinth, facing the chamfered corners, frame the tomb. The main chamber houses the false sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; their actual graves are at a lower level.
The marble dome that surmounts the tomb is its most spectacular feature. Its height is about the same size as the base of the building and is accentuated as it sits on a cylindrical “drum” of about 7 metres high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion dome. The top is decorated with a lotus design, which serves to accentuate its height as well. The shape of the dome is emphasised by four smaller domed chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners. The chattri domes replicate the onion shape of the main dome. Their columned bases open through the roof of the tomb and provide light to the interior. Tall decorative spires (guldastas) extend from edges of base walls, and provide visual emphasis to the height of the dome. The lotus motif is repeated on both the chattris and guldastas. The dome and chattris are topped by a gilded finial, which mixes traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements.
The exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are among the finest to be found in Mughal architecture. As the surface area changes, the decorations are refined proportionally. The decorative elements were created by applying paint or stucco, or by stone inlays or carvings. Islam prohibits the use of anthropomorphic forms so the decorative elements are caligraphy, abstract forms or vegetative motifs. The calligraphy found in Taj Mahal are of florid thuluth script, created by Persian calligrapher Amanat Khan, who signed several of the panels. The calligraphy is made by jasper inlaid in white marble panels. Higher panels are written slightly larger to reduce the skewing effect when viewing from below. Throughout the complex, passages from the Qur’an are used as decorative elements. the passages includes themes of judgement like the Surah 91 - The Sun, Surah 112 - The Purity of Faith, Surah 89 - Daybreak, Surah 93 -Morning Light, Surah 95 - The Fig, Surah 94 - The Solace, Surah 36 - Ya Sin, Surah 81 - The Folding Up, Surah 82 - The Cleaving Asunder, Surah 84 - The Rending Asunder, Surah 98 - The Evidence, Surah 67 - Dominion, Surah 48 - Victory, Surah 77 - Those Sent Forth and the Surah 39 - The Crowds. As one enters through Taj Mahal Gate, the calligraphy reads “O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you.”
The interior chamber of the Taj Mahal steps far beyond the traditional decorative elements. The inlay work is lapidary of precious and semiprecious gemstones. The inner chamber is an octagon with the design allowing for entry from each face, though only the south garden-facing door is used. The interior walls are about 25 meters high and topped by a “false” interior dome decorated with a sun motif. Eight pishtaq arches define the space at ground level. As with the exterior, each lower pishtaq is crowned by a second pishtaq about midway up the wall. The four central upper arches form balconies or viewing areas and each balcony’s exterior window has an intricate screen or jali cut from marble. In addition to the light from the balcony screens, light enters through roof openings covered by chattris at the corners. The octagonal marble screen or jali which borders the cenotaphs is made from eight marble panels. Each panel has been carved through with intricate pierce work. The remaining surfaces have been inlaid with semiprecious stones in extremely delicate detail, forming twining vines, fruits and flowers.
Muslim tradition forbids elaborate decoration of graves and hence Mumtaz and Shah Jahan are laid in a relatively plain crypt beneath the inner chamber with their faces turned right and towards Mecca. Mumtaz Mahal’s cenotaph is placed at the precise center of the inner chamber. Both the base and casket are elaborately inlaid with precious and semiprecious gems. Shah Jahan’s cenotaph is beside Mumtaz’s to the western side. It is the only visible asymmetric element in the entire complex. His cenotaph is bigger than his wife’s, but reflects the same elements. Ninety Nine Names of God are to be found as calligraphic inscriptions on the sides of the actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb of Shah Jahan bears a calligraphic inscription that reads; “He traveled from this world to the banquet-hall of Eternity on the night of the twenty-sixth of the month of Rajab, in the year 1076 Hijri.”
The entire complex sets on a large 300 square meter garden. The garden uses raised pathways that divide each of the four quarters of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds. A raised marble water tank at the center of the garden, halfway between the tomb and gateway, with a reflecting pool on North-South axis reflects the image of the Taj Mahal. Elsewhere, the garden is laid out with avenues of trees and fountains. The raised marble water tank is called al Hawd al-Kawthar, in reference to “Tank of Abundance” promised to Muhammad. The Taj Mahal garden is unusual in that the main element, the tomb, instead is located at the end of the garden.