Overview of Taj Mahal: History

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Taj Mahal is one of the most significant buildings in India and the world. In addition, this building is often listed as one of the most beautiful and historically significant buildings on earth, as it is in many ways unique and unrepeatable, despite the fact that many other countries have tried to replicate it. All these attempts have failed, but Taj Mahal holds a special status for all followers of Indian culture and religion and historians and architects who have admired its grandeur and unparalleled news for centuries.

The history of this building did not begin so long ago compared to many places of worship in the rest of the world. This is primarily because the Indian region was underdeveloped when it was built and did not allow for improved building methods, safety on the site, and materials to be used. All these problems did not prevent Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan from building this castle in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, in 1632. At that time, the first plans for the building appeared, and construction began, which was not completed until sixteen years later, in 1648. Despite what the building looks like now, at that time, it was not much different in its innovation and scale of construction (India Today, 2018). All of the above problems did not become unresolvable, and the Emperor was able to set up the building at a reasonably rapid pace for the time.

In addition, the Taj Mahal is a precious structure from a historical point of view. Inside is engraved valuable information of that time, which describes the culture and customs of that time, information about which is precious in the absence of other people’s sources of information. That is why artisans from all over Asia also joined the construction (History.com Editors, 2018). They helped not only to rebuild the palace but also to give it a historical value which is still revered today.

What makes this palace unique, besides the building itself, is the combination of the of light rays under the various arches. When they were built, the engineers thought it would be a creative idea to add places where light would fall to form shadows at just the right angle, all coming together into one whole. Thus, unique images were created from shadows, analogs of which do not exist. Even today, this technology is considered very complicated and hardly feasible (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, n.d.). Still, the builders of the Taj Mahal proved that they could do the impossible even for today’s time and create a unique form of art.

In addition, it is also worth noting a unique approach to the creation of the tomb. As already mentioned earlier, this palace was built to honor the memory of the Emperor’s wife, and he had in idea to create the most unusual concept of the rooms of his deceased wife. The architects admire the remarkable way the monument was built and located on the first floor in a four-sided garden. The whole unusual idea is that usually when such objects are created, the shrines are placed in the middle of the garden, which gives importance to the person who lays there and symbolizes the continuation of life through blooming plants (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, n.d.). The Emperor reasoned differently and placed his wife’s body near a distant room emperor pleaded otherwise and set his wife’s body by a remote room. In this way, he showed not her importance after death but that she followed a beautiful road of flowers to her eternal rest and finally found her peace in another world. In addition, her tomb was located on a small hill, which adds the significance of the persona of the Emperor’s wife. The tomb itself stands on an octagonal pedestal, the four sides extending beyond the edge of the figure, which gives the shape of a star and reminds of the importance of the empress in her husband’s life.

The first-floor plan maintains a balance throughout, as the rooms are placed in precisely the same order as on the other floors and maintain a perfect balance. The garden and shrine are in the middle of the complex on the first floor, surrounded by portal halls and four rooms in the corners. The exterior walls of the tomb are lined with portraits and frescoes depicting the Emperor and his wife. This is done in memory of the founder of this structure and shows the purpose of the construction.

The palace walls are made of first-class marble, which was very difficult to obtain in India at the time. Still, Emperor Shah Jahan negotiated a supply of the expensive material for the construction and hired artisans who knew how to handle it. The consequence of this step was that the rooms were perfectly made of marble and inlaid with precious stones. The tomb of the Emperor himself was one floor above. It was situated in the garden, as was his wife, and follows the composition of the previous tomb. However, the actual bodies were not there. It is only open to visitors, with floral installations and a beautiful garden with portraits of the imperial family. The bodies themselves are in a crypt behind the building, which was not a novelty at the time since monarchs were often buried away from human eyes.

Speaking of the appearance of the Taj Mahal, it should be noted that the first attraction that catches the eye of all people is the main entrance and the alley that leads to the palace. The main gate is inscribed in the center of the southern part of the palace and consists of large arches, which are symmetrical concerning each other. The entrance is framed by double arcaded galleries and leads to the garden, which is the first sight to see when viewing the building. The park is divided by two paths divided into sections, each of which is a separate composite, although, in the aggregate, they do not differ from each other in color (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, n.d.). This allows them to be seen as separate components of the garden and whole, which is also a creative solution to creating flower meadows.

The building itself is entirely symmetrical, which was very challenging in terms of architecture at the time of construction. It was necessary to correctly calculate the location of those or other elements of the building, absolutely accurately conduct calculations and at the same time take into account all the wishes of the Emperor. Combined with all the previously described details, such as the arches that cast light only at a certain angle, as well as the gardens, the plants which must be put together in a composition while being separated from each other, you can only imagine how difficult the work was not only with the design but also with the construction itself. In addition, the materials from which the Taj Mahal was built were in minimal quantities, which prevented him from making a mistake in calculations and making even minor errors.

In this regard, the temple is not made entirely of marble, as the Emperor wanted. Its foundation consisted of bricks on a lime base, decorated with marble and lined with red sandstone, of which there was plenty in India.

It is also worth noting that the complex also includes a guest house and a mosque in addition to the palace itself. The guest house is located near the Taj Mahal and is a small copy of it, with reduced proportions and built on the same basis as the palace itself (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, n.d.). Both buildings also have some similarities, such as the terrace, above which a large platform is made, and the prayer hall consists of three separate sections. Unlike the palace itself, these buildings don’t have a marble base but are built of sandstone bricks, though made to look as if they were marble. It is striking that the Emperor wanted to bring to perfection his primary creation and the surrounding buildings to impress the guests and the ordinary people as well. Even despite the lack of necessary materials palace was built and still is. Many historians and architects are studying its construction to this day to understand how possible it was to create this palace in the realities of the time, how materials were obtained, what are the features of the Taj Mahal and why it looks so that it is still the face of all Asia.

In conclusion, it is worth adding that it is still a cult structure despite its age because this palace is more than 350 years old. Despite all the conditions under which the workers were at its construction and design, it is still one of the finest examples of human intelligence and architectural ability. The Taj Mahal is an iconic structure that shows the world how majestic the culture of the Eastern region is.

References

History.com Editors. (2018). Taj Mahal. History. Web.

India Today (2018). A brief history of Taj Mahal, the epitome of love. Web.

UNESCO World Heritage Centre (n.d.). Taj Mahal. Web.

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Overview of Taj Mahal: History

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