Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a monument located in India and was built using marble. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in commemoration of his favorite wife, Empress Mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631 A.D. The grief-stricken emperor made all efforts in building the tomb in her memory, which is universally noticed as one of the most beautiful creations on earth. Artists were requested from all over the empire including Central Asia and Iran for designing the monument. While bricks for the internal framework were locally made. White marble for external surfaces was brought from Makrana, Rajasthan. The inscription on the northern facade records 1647A.D. as the date of its completion in 17 years. Thousands of workers labored for over 20 years on the building, embellishing it with outstanding decorations including white marble screens and pietra dura inlay with semiprecious stones. At over 200 feet (60 meters) tall, the structure is the tallest Mughal tomb ever built and is considered to be the single greatest work of Mughal architecture.
Facts about Taj Mahal
1. The Taj Mahal was built by a huge amount of 22,000 laborers, painters, stonecutters, embroidery artists.
2. Legend has it that Emperor Shah Jahan wanted to build another Taj Mahal in black marble across the river but a war with his sons interrupted these plans.
3. The changing moods of the Emperor's wife are well captured by the changing hues of the Mausoleum at different times of the day. It takes a pinkish hue in the morning, milky white in the evening, and golden at night when illuminated by moonlight.
4. Its complex work of art and architectural genius took 17 years to complete.
5. The most recognizable feature is the white dome at the peak of the mausoleum. Often called the 'onion dome', it rises to about 35 meters (115 feet) and is surrounded by four other domes.
6. Taj Mahal is a famous Indian landmark and tourist magnet, attracting more than a million tourists every year.
7. As always, rumor mills are on the overdrive about this mausoleum. It is rumored that the Emperor ordered that all the workers who worked on the mausoleum get their hands chopped off so that no one could make anything like it ever again.
8. If it was to be built today, the Taj Mahal would cost the Emperor about US$100 to make it as beautiful as it is.
9. The materials that were used to build the Taj Mahal were transported to the construction site by a whopping 1,000 elephants.
10. Many of the precious stones on the mausoleum were ripped off from the walls of the mausoleum by the British army during the Indian rebellion of 1857.
2. Legend has it that Emperor Shah Jahan wanted to build another Taj Mahal in black marble across the river but a war with his sons interrupted these plans.
3. The changing moods of the Emperor's wife are well captured by the changing hues of the Mausoleum at different times of the day. It takes a pinkish hue in the morning, milky white in the evening, and golden at night when illuminated by moonlight.
4. Its complex work of art and architectural genius took 17 years to complete.
5. The most recognizable feature is the white dome at the peak of the mausoleum. Often called the 'onion dome', it rises to about 35 meters (115 feet) and is surrounded by four other domes.
6. Taj Mahal is a famous Indian landmark and tourist magnet, attracting more than a million tourists every year.
7. As always, rumor mills are on the overdrive about this mausoleum. It is rumored that the Emperor ordered that all the workers who worked on the mausoleum get their hands chopped off so that no one could make anything like it ever again.
8. If it was to be built today, the Taj Mahal would cost the Emperor about US$100 to make it as beautiful as it is.
9. The materials that were used to build the Taj Mahal were transported to the construction site by a whopping 1,000 elephants.
10. Many of the precious stones on the mausoleum were ripped off from the walls of the mausoleum by the British army during the Indian rebellion of 1857.
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