Which Indian city is the Taj Mahal. Mausoleum Taj Mahal - a masterpiece of Indian architecture

The Taj Mahal Mausoleum-Mosque is a recognized masterpiece of the world heritage and one of the Seven New Wonders of the World, located in the city of Agra near the Jamna River in India. The mosque was erected in the 17th century by order of Shah Jahan, the padishah of the Mughal Empire, who dedicated the construction of the Taj Mahal to his wife Mumtaz Mahal (later the Indian Shah himself was buried here).

History of the creation of the Taj Mahal mausoleum in India

The creation of the Taj Mahal is associated with the legend of the love of the padishah Shah Jahan and the girl Mumtaz Mahal, who traded in the local market. The Indian ruler was so fascinated by her beauty that they soon got married. In a happy marriage, 14 children were born, but during the birth of the last child, Mumtaz Mahal died. Shah Jahan was crushed by the death of his beloved wife and ordered to build a mausoleum in memory of her, which is nowhere more beautiful.

The construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and was completed in 1653. About 20 thousand craftsmen and workers from all over the empire were involved in the construction. A group of architects worked on the mosque, but the main idea belongs to Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, there is also a version that the main author of the project is the Persian architect Ustad Isa (Isa Muhammad Effendi).

The construction of the tomb and platform took approximately 12 years. Over the next ten years, minarets, a mosque, a javab and the Great Gate were erected.

Tombs of Padishah Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal

Taj Mahal - wonder of the world: the architecture of the mosque

The Taj Mahal is a five-domed structure with 4 minarets in the corners. Inside the mausoleum there are two tombs - the shah and his wife.

The mosque was erected on a platform, the strength of the foundation is due to the fact that the level of the site was raised 50 meters above the level of the banks of the Jamna River. The total height of the Taj Mahal is 74 meters. In front of the building there is a three-hundred-meter garden with fountains and a marble pool, from a certain angle, the entire structure is symmetrically reflected in its waters.

The most notable component of the Indian Taj Mahal is the white marble dome. The walls are also lined with polished translucent marble with elements of precious stones and gems (pearls, sapphires, turquoise, agate, malachite, carnelian and others). The Taj Mahal Mosque is made in accordance with Islamic religious tradition, the interior is decorated with abstract symbols and lines from the Koran.

Taj Mahal is considered the pearl of Muslim art in the country of India and the best example Mughal architecture, where Indian, Persian and Arab elements are combined.

• Since 2007, the Indian Taj Mahal has been on the list of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
• What is the Taj Mahal? This name is translated from Persian as "The Greatest Palace" ("Taj" - crown, "Mahal" - palace).
• Many valuable interior items of the Taj Mahal were stolen - gems, gems, the crown of the main dome - a golden spire and even the entrance doors made of silver.
• Due to the peculiarity of marble, at different times of the day and depending on the weather, the Taj Mahal mosque is able to change color: during the day the building looks white, at dawn pink, and on a moonlit night - silvery.
• Tens of thousands of people visit the Taj Mahal every day; per year - from 3 to 5 million people. Peak season is October, November and February.
• The Taj Mahal has been featured in many films, the most popular of which are Armageddon, Mars Attacks!, Until I Played in the Box, Life After People, The Last Dance, Slumdog Millionaire.
• Airplanes are prohibited from flying over the Taj Mahal.

How to visit: price, tickets, opening hours

Entrance cost *: for foreigners - 1000 INR **, for citizens of India - 530 INR. **

* The ticket includes a visit to the Taj Mahal, the ancient fort (Agra Fort) and the Mini Taj (Baby Taj) - the tomb of Itimad-ud-Daula.
** INR - Indian Rupee (1000 INR = 15.32 $)
** Prices are as of October 2017

Opening hours:

• Daytime: 6:00 - 19:00 (weekdays, except Fridays - the day of prayers in the mosque).
• Evening time: 20:30 - 00:30 (2 days before and 2 days after the full moon, except Fridays and the month of Ramadan).

Visiting rules: only small handbags are allowed in the Taj Mahal, mobile phones, cameras, small camcorders, water in transparent bottles.

How to get to the Taj Mahal

Address where the Taj Mahal is located: India, Uttar Pradesh, Agra, Tejginj, Forest Colony, Dharmaperi.

If you are on vacation in Goa and want to get to the Taj Mahal, then direct flights from Goa airport to Agra no. You can fly to Delhi by plane, and from there there are daily flights to the city of Agra. The distance between Goa and Agra is about 2000 km.

Delhi to Agra on your own: by plane - 3-4 hours on the way; by bus - $ 15-20 (3 hours on the way); morning train 12002 Bhopal Shatabdi - $ 5-10 (2-3 hours on the way).

The easiest way: order an excursion or organization individual tour to Agra with a visit to the Taj Mahal. Most popular: Goa-Agra tour, Delhi-Agra tour.

To get closer to a popular attraction or to see the Taj Mahal from the rooftops of hotels and guesthouses, book hotels in Agra using the convenient Planet of Hotels service.

2.5 km from the Taj Mahal is the city's second most popular landmark - Fort Agra. This will allow you to inspect two architectural masterpieces for one day.

The Taj Mahal is known all over the world and has attracted many tourists for 350 years. The silhouette, familiar from countless photographs, has become a symbol of India. The Taj Mahal seems to float between heaven and earth: its proportions, symmetry, the surrounding gardens and the mirror of the waters make an unprecedented impression.

The monument erected by the Sultan in honor of his beloved wife not only amazes with its appearance, but also the history that accompanied the construction of the mausoleum.

History of the mausoleum Taj Mahal

In 1612, Prince Khurram (the future ruler Shah Jahan, whose name means "Lord of the Universe") took the beautiful Mumtaz Mahal as his wife. According to one version, the future princess is a commoner, but the prince, seeing her eyes, simply could not resist. According to another, more likely 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: according to local tradition, the wedding ceremony could take place only with a favorable arrangement of the stars, so Shah Jahan and his beloved had to wait for a happy 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 camped near Burhanpur

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 considerable age, and frequent childbirth undermined her 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 counselor 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 vowed to build a tombstone worthy of his wife's memory, completely unusual, with which nothing in the world can compare.

The place for the future mausoleum was the city of Agra, which in the 17th century was considered the capital on a par with Delhi. The location was surprisingly well-chosen: not a single one has yet caused serious damage to the mausoleum.

In 1632, construction began, which lasted over 20 years. More than 20,000 workers were employed here. A multitude of skilled masons, stone cutters and jewelers flocked to Agra from all over India and the West. Ismail Khan from designed the magnificent dome. The lines from the Holy Quran 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 performers of the mosaic works were five Hindu.

The chief architect Ustad (which means "master") Isa Khan was given unlimited powers. It should be noted that not everyone agrees that Isa Khan was the architect, claiming that she was not technically advanced enough 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. Whether it is true or not, now it will hardly be possible to establish. Not a single document contains information about who supervised the construction. There was only an inscription on the Taj Mahal itself, which says: "The builder was not a mere mortal, for the construction plan was given to him by heaven."

According to Shah Jahan's instructions, only the best was selected for the memorial in honor of his beloved wife. All materials for the mausoleum were delivered from afar. Sandstone was brought to Agra from Sikri, semiprecious 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 came from the Makrana quarries, 300 kilometers from Agra. Some of the marble blocks were enormous, and for transportation they were loaded into huge wooden carts, which were harnessed to several dozen buffaloes and oxen.

White marble is the foundation of the entire Taj Mahal. The walls were covered with thousands of precious and semi-precious stones from above, 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 in 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. The doors to the Taj Mahal were once made of silver, with hundreds of small silver nails hammered into them. Inside was a parapet made of gold, and a pearl-strewn cloth lay on the princess's tomb, set at the very site of her burning. Unfortunately, all of this was plundered. When Lord Lake occupied Agra in 1803, his dragoons carried 44,000 "tola" pure gold out of the Taj Mahal. British soldiers removed many precious stones from the walls of the mausoleum. As Lord Curzon testifies, "it was common for soldiers, armed with a chisel and a 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 made it possible to save the Taj Mahal and thousands of other monuments from complete ruin.

When the construction came to an end, in 1653, the aging ruler gave the order to start 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 bridge made of black marble. 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, until the last moment without taking his eyes off his beloved creation. After his death, he was reunited with his beloved - according to the will, he was buried next to, in the same crypt with Mumtaz Mahal.

Features of the structure of the mausoleum Taj Mahal

The airiness is created by proportions that are unusual for us - the height equals 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 total height - 75 meters, and the distance from the floor level to the parapet above the arched portals is half of the entire height. You can draw many more lines and find 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 its size.

This absolutely symmetrical octagonal building measures 57 meters in perimeter, it is crowned with a central dome 24.5 meters high and 17 meters in diameter. When the giant dome was being erected, for more convenient delivery necessary materials to a great height, according to the project of Ismail Khan, a sloping earthen embankment with a length of 3.6 kilometers 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 is 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 stone entrance is decorated with a white patterned "portico", and from above it is "covered" with 11 domes, 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 square meters), which can be accessed through a large gate, symbolizing the entrance to paradise. The park is designed as a road that leads directly to the entrance to the Taj Mahal. In the middle of this "road" there is a large marble pool with an irrigation canal stretching towards it. At the time of Shah Jahan, ornamental fish swam in the pool, and peacocks and other exotic birds walked importantly along the paths. Guards, dressed in white robes 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). The short north side runs along the banks of the Jamna River. WITH south side a third of the area is occupied by outbuildings and culminates in a monumental gate leading into the walled lot that makes up most of the rectangle.

The facades of the mausoleum are decorated with gentle pointed arches. In addition, the so-called "stalactites" are used here - the joints of small, overhanging cantilever niches. Stalactites support protruding forms and are located at the base of the dome, in niches, under cornices and on the column capitals. They are made of plaster or terracotta and create an exceptionally subtle play of light and shade.

A wide staircase leads to the very center of the façade. It is customary to leave shoes at its base, as in front of the entrance to the temple.

The inside of the building is no less beautiful than the outside. The 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. The walls are decorated with 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 the chamber of the tomb, which has a square in plan with beveled corners. 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 is the most visited place in India. Thousands of tourists come here from all over the world. Policemen are on duty from all four sides of the mausoleum, vigilantly watching 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 - symbolic, because the Taj Mahal is also called the "temple of love"). The police also make sure that tourists do not photograph 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 settle if the authorities of the state of Utar Pradesh, which houses the famous mausoleum, did not take care of the area immediately adjacent to the architectural monument. Of particular concern is Jamna, located next to the Taj Mahal. This is due to the drying up of the channel. The Government of India has pledged to allocate a sufficient amount for special work.

It is indisputably necessary to protect this architectural monument. After all, this is not only the most famous mausoleum, but also one of the most beautiful structures 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 saw the Taj Mahal, and those who did not receive this happiness."

This is the greatest monument in India, which was built in the name of love and extraordinary devotion to a woman of amazing beauty. In its grandeur, it has no analogues in the whole world and reflects a rich period in the history of its state, which captured an entire era.

The building, built of white marble, was the last gift from Emperor Shah Jahan to his deceased wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The emperor ordered to find the best craftsmen who would build a mausoleum, so beautiful that he had no analogues in the world.

Today, the Taj Mahal is one of the seven most magnificent monuments in the world. Built of white marble, adorned with gold and semi-precious stones, the Taj Mahal has become one of the finest buildings in architecture. It is hard not to recognize it and it is the most photographed structure in the world.

The Taj Mahal has become not only the pearl of the entire Muslim culture of India, but also one of the world's recognized masterpieces. Over the centuries, he has inspired artists, musicians and poets who have tried to translate the invisible magic of this structure into paintings, music and poems.

Since the 17th century, people have deliberately crossed entire continents just to see and enjoy this truly fabulous monument of love. Even centuries later, it still captivates visitors with its architecture, which tells about mysterious history deep love.

Taj Mahal, translated as "Palace with a dome," and today is considered the best preserved, architecturally beautiful mausoleum in the world. Some call it "an elegy in marble", for others the Taj Mahal is an eternal symbol of unfading love.

The Indian poet Rabindanath Tagore called it "a tear on the cheek of eternity", and the English poet Edwin Arnold said - "This is not a work of architecture, like other buildings, but the emperor's love agony embodied in living stones."

Creator Taj Mahal

Shah Jahan was the fifth Mughal emperor, and in addition to the Taj Mahal, he left behind many beautiful architectural monuments that are currently associated with the appearance of India. Such as the Pearl Mosque located in Agra, Shahjahanabad (now Old Delhi), Divan-i-Khas and Divan-i-Am, which is in the citadel of the Red Fort (Delhi). And also, considered the most luxurious throne in the world, the Peacock Throne of the Great Mongols. But the most famous became, of course, the Taj Mahal, which immortalized his name forever.

Shah Jahan had several wives. In 1607, he was engaged to a young girl, Arjumanad Banu Begam, who at that time was only 14 years old; five years later, the wedding took place. During the ceremony, Shah Jahan's father, Jahangir, gave the name to his daughter-in-law Mumtaz Mahal, which means "Pearl of the Palace".

According to the annals of Kazvani, "the relationship of the emperor with other wives was just formal, and all the attention, favor, intimacy and deep affection that Jahan felt for Mumtaz was a thousand times stronger in relation to his other wives."

Shah Jahan, "Lord of the World", was a great patron of handicrafts and commerce, arts and gardens, science and architecture. At the head of the empire, he rose in 1628 after the death of his father and rightfully earned a reputation as a ruthless ruler. After a series of successful military campaigns, Emperor Shah Jahan significantly expanded the territory of the Great Mongol Empire. At the height of his reign, he was considered the most powerful man on the planet, and the wealth and splendor of his court amazed all European travelers.

But his personal life was darkened in 1631 when his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth. Legend has it that Jahan promised his dying wife that he would build the most beautiful mausoleum that cannot be compared with anything in the world. Whether it was so or not, Shah Jahan embodied his wealth and all his love for Mumtaz in the creation of the promised monument.

Shah Jahan until the end of his days looked at his beautiful creation, but not in the role of a ruler, but as a prisoner. He was imprisoned in the Red Fort at Agra by his own son Aurangzeb, who seized the throne in 1658. The only consolation for the former emperor was the opportunity to see the Taj Mahal through the window. And before his death, in 1666, Shah Jahan asked to fulfill his last wish: to take him to the window overlooking the Taj Mahal, where he whispered the name of his beloved for the last time.

Mumtaz married on May 10, 1612 after five years of engagement. This date for the couple was chosen by the court astrologers, claiming that this is the most favorable day for marriage. And they were right, the marriage was happy for both Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. During his lifetime, all poets praised extraordinary beauty, harmony and boundless mercy Mamtaz Mahal.

Traveling with Shah Jahan throughout the Mughal Empire, she became a reliable life companion for him. Only war could separate them, but in the future, even war could not separate them. Mumtaz Mahal became a support and consolation for the emperor, as well as an inseparable companion of her husband until her death.

For 19 years of her marriage, Mumtaz gave birth to 14 children to the emperor, but the last birth was fatal for the emperor. Mumtaz dies in childbirth and her body is temporarily buried in Burhanpur.

The chroniclers of the imperial court paid extraordinary attention to the feelings of Shah Jahan in connection with the death of his wife. The emperor was so inconsolable that after the death of Mumtaz, he spent a whole year in seclusion. When he came to, he no longer looked like the old emperor. His hair has turned gray, his back is bent and his face has aged. For several years he did not listen to music, stopped wearing richly decorated clothes and jewelry, and also using perfumery.

Shah Jahan died eight years after the seizure of the throne by his son Aurangzeb. “My father had great affection for my mother, so let his last resting place be by her side,” Aurangzeb said and ordered that his father be buried next to Mumtaz Mahal.

There is a legend according to which Shah Jahan was going to build an exact copy of the Taj Mahal on the other side of the Yamuna River, but this time from black marble. But these plans were not destined to turn into life.

Taj Mahal construction

Construction of the Taj Mahal began in December 1631. It was the fulfillment of the promise of Shah Jahan given to Mumtaz Mahal in the last minutes of her life that he would build a monument that could match her beauty. The construction of the central mausoleum was completed in 1648, and the entire complex was completed in 1653, five years later.

Nobody knows who the Taj Mahal's layout belongs to. Earlier in the Islamic world, the construction of buildings was attributed not to the architect, but to the customer of the construction. Based on many sources, it can be argued that a team of architects worked on the project.

Like so many other great monuments, the Taj Mahal is a powerful testament to its creator's overwhelming wealth. For 22 years, 20,000 people worked to make Shah Jahan's fantasy come true. Sculptors came from Bukhara, calligraphers from Persia and Syria, inlays were made by masters from southern India, stone cutters came from Baluchistan, and materials were brought from all over Central Asia and India.

Taj Mahal architecture

Taj Mahal consists of the following buildings:

• Main entrance (Darwaza)
• Mausoleum (Rauza)
• Gardens (Bageecha)
• Mosque (Masjid)
• Guest House (Naqqar Khana)

The mausoleum is surrounded by a guest house on one side and a mosque on the other. The white marble building is surrounded by four minarets, which are tilted outward to prevent damage to the central dome. The complex is located in a garden with a huge pool, which reflects a copy of the beauty of the Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal Garden

Taj Mahal surrounds beautiful garden... For the Islamic style, the garden is not just a part of the complex. Muhammad's followers lived in vast arid lands, so this walled garden personified Paradise on Earth. The territory of the garden occupies most of the complex 300x300 m, with a total area of ​​300x580 m.

Since in Islam the number 4 is considered a holy number, the entire structure of the Taj Mahal garden is based on the number 4 and its multiples. The central reservoir and canals divide the garden into 4 equal parts. In each of these parts there are 16 flower beds, which are separated by pedestrian paths.

The trees in the garden are either fruit trees, which signify life, or the cypress families, which signify death. The Taj Mahal itself is located not in the center of the garden, but on its northern edge. And in the center of the garden there is an artificial reservoir, which reflects the mausoleum in its waters.

History of the Taj Mahal after construction

Around the middle of the 19th century, the Taj Mahal became a place for have a nice stay... Girls danced on the terrace, a guest house with a mosque was rented out for wedding ceremonies. The English and Hindus plundered the semiprecious stones, tapestries, rich carpets and silver doors that once adorned this mausoleum. Many vacationers took a hammer with them in order to make it easier to extract pieces of carnelian and agate from stone flowers.

For some time, it generally seemed that the Taj Mahal might disappear, like the Mongols themselves. Governor-General of India William Bentinck in 1830 was going to dismantle the monument and sell its marble. It is said that the destruction of the mausoleum was prevented only by the absence of buyers.

The Taj Mahal suffered even more during the Indian uprising in 1857, and at the end of the 19th century it completely fell into decay. The graves were desecrated by vandals, and the area was completely overgrown without maintenance.

The decline lasted for many years until Lord Kenzon (Governor General of India) organized a massive restoration project for the monument, which was completed in 1908. The building has been completely renovated and the garden and canals have been restored. All this helped to restore the Taj Mahal to its former glory.

Many criticize the British for their bad attitude towards the Taj Mahal, but the Indians treated him no better. As the population of Agra grew, the structure began to suffer from acid rain from environmental pollution, which discolored its white marble. The future of the monument was in jeopardy until, in the late 1990s, the Indian Supreme Court ruled to move all highly hazardous hazardous industries outside the city.

Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mongolian architecture. It combines elements of Islamic, Persian and Indian architectural schools. In 1983 the monument was listed World heritage UNESCO, and has been named "the pearl of all Muslim art in India and a masterpiece of world heritage of universal admiration."

The Taj Mahal has become a symbol of India for tourists, attracting about 2.5 million travelers annually. It is considered one of the most recognizable structures in the world, and the history behind its construction gives the right to consider it greatest monument love ever built in the world.

The Taj Mahal is one of the most recognizable landmarks in India. The grandiose mausoleum, erected in the first half of the 17th century, is one of the finest examples of architecture in the Mughal Empire and combines elements of several prominent Asian styles.


In 1983, the building was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a true jewel of Islamic art and a masterpiece of architectural heritage that is admired around the world.

In which city is the Taj Mahal located?

The Taj Mahal was erected in the city of Agra, on the banks of the Jamna River. There is a legend that on the other side it was planned to erect a similar structure, but in black color, and between the two complexes there was to be a marble bridge. However, the second mosque was never built.

The site on which the Taj Mahal rises extends south of the Agra fortress wall and covers an area of ​​about 1.2 hectares. Before the construction of the mausoleum, these lands belonged to the Indian maharaja Jai ​​Singh and were bought from him by the padishah Shah Jahan.

What is the Taj Mahal?

The Taj Mahal is the unofficial symbol of India. The luxurious structure is a complex structure with five domes, four minarets at each corner and an adjoining picturesque park with a pool and fountains. Shah Jahan, who built it, pursued the goal of preserving the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth with her 14th child.


After the construction of the building, the woman's body was placed in a tomb, arranged at the underground level of the Taj Mahal, and after his death, Shah Jahan himself rested next to Mumtaz Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is both a mausoleum containing the remains of the great Indian ruler and his wife, and a mosque where supporters of the Hindu religion come to pray. Every day the building is visited by tens of thousands of tourists who want to admire its outstanding architecture.

On average, every year the mausoleum is visited by up to 5 million people, including from abroad. To meet the needs of such a large number of visitors, food markets and caravanserais have been opened in the neighboring town of Mumtazabad.

When was the Taj Mahal built?

The construction of the complex began in 1630. More than 22 thousand builders took part in the work, who were invited from all over the Empire. Materials for the construction were brought from different regions of Asia, and thousands of elephants were used for transportation. Jadeite and jade were brought from China, from the Indian state of Penjam - multi-colored jasper, from the city of Makran - elegant white marble.


The construction of the tomb took a little over 20 years and was completed in 1653, but for about a decade additional work was carried out around the Taj Mahal, such as the construction of minarets and the central gate.

What is the Taj Mahal famous for?

Despite its grandeur, the Taj Mahal amazes visitors with its amazing airiness, achieved due to its unusual proportions and the original facade with semicircular niches. The 74 meter high main dome lifts the rest of the complex, richly decorated with polished marble inlaid with gems. In total, 28 types of stones were used to decorate the building, including agate, turquoise, and malachite. Due to the peculiarities of marble in bright sunlight, the mausoleum appears white, and at sunset it takes on a pinkish tint.

Many signs and symbols are hidden in the architecture and planning solutions of the complex. In particular, inscriptions from the Koran can be seen on the Great Gate. A large marble pool in front of the entrance, in the waters of which you can see the reflection of the entire mosque, makes the building especially attractive.


High minarets located at the corners of the main platform are slightly inclined relative to the building, which was done for safety reasons - if they collapse during earthquakes, they will not damage the main structure.

Because of its scale and amazing beauty in 2007, the Taj Mahal was included in the list of the seven new wonders of the world and stood on a par with such significant buildings as the Italian Colosseum and the Great Wall of China.

Address: India, Agra
Start of construction: 1632 year
End of construction: 1653 year
Architect: Ustad Ahmad Lahauri
Height: 72 m
Coordinates: 27 ° 10 "30.5" N 78 ° 02 "31.4" E

As soon as the famous mausoleum of the Taj Mahal was not called! The famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote about the Taj Mahal that this monument is “a tear sparkling on the face of eternity”.

Taj Mahal aerial view

In 1983, the mausoleum was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and recognized as the best example of Indo-Muslim architecture.

Taj Mahal - the legend of love, frozen in marble

In the history of the white marble masterpiece, facts and legends are closely intertwined, but most historians agree that the tomb was built in the 1630s. about the order of the emperor of the Great Mughals - Shah Jahan in memory of the untimely deceased wife of Mumtaz Mahal. The lovers got married when the beautiful Mumtaz Mahal was 19 years old. Shah Jahan loved only her and did not notice other women. The emperor's wife became his closest adviser, took part in the conduct of state affairs and accompanied her husband on all military campaigns. The spouses had 13 children, and during the birth of the 14th child, Mumtaz Mahal died. The emperor sat for a long time at his wife's deathbed, tirelessly mourning her. Heartbroken Shah Jahan turned gray, declared a two-year mourning in the country and decided to build a mausoleum in Agra, the capital of the Mughal Empire, on the banks of the Jamna River, which has no equal on Earth, and never existed. Construction continued for 22 long years. More than 20,000 people participated in it, among them builders from all over the empire, craftsmen from Venice, Persia, Central Asia and the Arab East. According to legend, the ruler was so impressed by the grandeur and perfection of the tomb that he ordered the chief architect, Ustad-Isa, to be cut off, so that he could not repeat his masterpiece.

View of the Taj Mahal from the garden

Some scholars believe that the mausoleum was designed by Shah Jahan himself, who is passionate about architecture. He gave his creation a name consonant with the name of his deceased wife - Taj Mahal ("Crown of the Palace")... On the other side, the ruler was going to erect the same mausoleum for himself, but from black marble, and he had to connect these two buildings openwork bridge of gray marble, thrown across the river. But the plans of the emperor did not come true. Soon a fierce struggle for power unfolded, during which Aurangzeb, the son of Shah Jahan, overthrew his father from the throne and imprisoned him in the Red Fort for 9 years, after which the prisoner died and was buried next to his wife in the Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal architecture

Today the white marble monument of great love, "the pearl of Indian architecture" is one of the most important sights of India. In 2007, the Taj Mahal was included in the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World, compiled after a poll of more than 100 million votes. The majestic five-domed mausoleum with 4 minarets in the corners rises to a 74-meter height on a white marble platform and, reflected in the motionless smooth surfaces of an artificial reservoir, seems to hover above the ground like a fabulous mirage.

Taj Mahal from the opposite bank of the Jamna River

Its walls, lined with polished marble, shine with whiteness on a bright sunny day, emit a lilac-pink glow at sunset, and silvery on a moonlit night. This marble was transported for construction for 300 km from Rajasthan. Precious stones and semi-precious stones are used in the inlay of the walls; black marble is decorated with quotes from the Koran. Malachite was brought from Russia, carnelian - from Baghdad, turquoise - from Tibet, sapphires and rubies - from Siam, lapis lazuli - from Ceylon, chrysolite - from the banks of the Nile. Symmetry is impeccably observed in the architecture of the ensemble. It is disturbed only by the tomb of Shah-Jahan, which was built after his death, much later than the tombstone of Mumtuz-Mazal, which was located strictly in the middle of the mausoleum.

Symbols hidden in the layout of the mausoleum

The Taj Mahal has many symbols. So, for example, in a park framing architectural ensemble, cypresses are growing - the personification of sadness in Islam, and on the entrance gate are carved verses (revelations) from the Koran, addressed to the believers and ending with the words “Enter My Paradise!”. Thus, one can understand the plan of Shah Jahan - he built a paradise where his beloved will live. Modern researchers argue that, mad with grief, the emperor decided to approach divine knowledge by creating heaven on Earth. Sometimes Shah Jahan said that he was building the throne for Allah himself.

Fragment of the facade of the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal endangered

Currently, the creation of medieval architects is in decline. Cracks appeared on the walls of the Taj Mahal, it loses its shining whiteness due to polluted air, and the minarets deviated from the vertical axis by 3 mm and may collapse in the future. The Jamna River is shallowing, and this can lead to a change in the soil structure and subsidence of the foundation. And yet, despite all the threats of destruction, the magnificent Taj Mahal has existed for over 350 years, attracting millions of visitors from all over the world with its romantic legend and architectural excellence.