The story of the Taj Mahal. The main elements of the architectural complex of the Taj Mahal

You cannot fly an airplane over it. You can get into it at night, but only during the full moon. All the architects who worked on it were killed. This is the Taj Mahal. Heart of India.

History of the Taj Mahal in India

The Taj Mahal was built in honor of a woman. Who was loved very much and who died. A descendant of Khan Tamerlane, the Great Mongol Emperor Shah Jahan ordered the construction of a palace in honor of his late wife Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal translates as “the chosen one of the palace.” According to the traditions of that time, the khan had a huge harem, but he loved only his wife.

The silhouette of the Taj Mahal in India is instantly recognizable by people all over the world. It is one of the most photographed buildings in history. Made of white marble, decorated with gold and semi-precious stones, this structure testifies to the wealth of the state and the skill of the craftsmen of the 17th century. And of course, about great love.

It is not surprising that the Taj Mahal is the most popular place on the map of India. More than 3 million people visit it annually.

Shah Jahan and his Love

Contemporaries called Shah Jahan the ruler of the world. He ruled his empire for 30 years and during this time the country came to cultural and political prosperity.

When Shah was a fifteen-year-old boy, he met a girl in the market. She was 14 and selling trinkets. It was Arju-mand Banu Begam. The history of the Taj Mahal in India began with this meeting. According to legend, the young lovers immediately fell in love with each other. But the Shah was forced to enter into a marriage beneficial to the dynasty. His wife was a Persian princess. The first of the four permitted by Islam. The Shah married his beloved for the second time. A new name - Mumtaz Mahal - was given to her by her father-in-law, the great Khan Jahangir.

The relationship of the young couple was cloudless, trusting and tender. According to contemporaries, the emperor's wife was beautiful and wise. And also brave. Pregnant, she accompanied him on the campaign and died in childbirth. This was to be their fourteenth child. Mumtaz Mahal was 39 years old.

True or not, when dying, the woman allegedly asked her lover to fulfill two of her wishes. First, he will not marry again, so as not to create enmity between the heirs. And secondly, to erect a mausoleum in her honor, the like of which the world has never seen. The emperor promised to fulfill both requests and kept his word.

After the death of his wife, the ruler locked himself in his room for eight days, did not drink or eat. During this time he grew very old. And when he left, he began to create the most majestic mausoleum in India called the Taj Mahal.

Construction of the palace

The best craftsmen from Baghdad, Istanbul, Samarkand and many other cities came to the emperor’s call. Everyone presented their project. More than others, the ruler liked the sketches drawn by the Iranian Istad Usa. A famous architect at that time. Istad Usa never saw how and who built the Taj Mahal in India based on its model. He was blinded so that he would not do anything like this again. It is possible, of course, that this is a fiction and the poor architect was not harmed. It is also known that, besides him, design work French and Venetian masters were also involved.

The palace was founded in Agra in 1632. Only 10 years later work on the central building was completed.

Architectural features of the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal palace in India is a whole complex of buildings. Here are the main ones:

• the mausoleum itself (a five-domed temple, the largest dome resembles a flower bud; the height of the entire structure is 74 m);
• four minarets (they were designed and installed at a slight angle from the tomb, so that if they fell they would not hit it);
• two identical sandstone buildings;
• garden (with fountains and a swimming pool);
• huge gates (according to Muslim beliefs, they seem to lead from the kingdom of the senses to the kingdom of the spirit, symbolizing the gates to paradise; immediately behind the gates there is a view of the mausoleum, which is reflected in the water of the pool; initially the doors were silver, later they were replaced by copper).

A staircase leads to the mausoleum. Since the Taj Mahal in India is also a kind of mosque, it is customary to take off your shoes at the entrance. The building is lined with marble. It is translucent and polished. The marble had to be delivered 300 km away. It reflects light amazingly - it looks pink in the morning, white during the day, and silver at night.

There are openwork grilles on the windows and arches, and suras from the Koran are engraved in black marble in the passages. The walls are covered with gilding, marble mosaics and ornaments. It used 1.5 thousand tons of diamonds, pearls, agate, carnelian, malachite and turquoise. In the center of the mausoleum there are marble screens, and behind them are the tombs. They always have fresh flowers. But these tombs are false, empty. The bodies of the Shah and his wife are located under the building, in a crypt.

The Taj Mahal Temple in India took 22 years to build. This required the labor of 20 thousand builders. The work on the temple was carried out by the best craftsmen - sculptors from Bukhara, Syrian calligraphers, jewelers from South India.

Later the temple was looted and many precious stones disappeared.

The park around the mausoleum is also very beautiful. The paths are paved with marble. The pool, which is located in front of the main entrance, is lined with cypress trees. In these parts they are considered to be trees of sorrow.

At the entrance to the garden there is a mosque made of red sandstone. It has eleven domes and two minarets.

The entire complex stands on the banks of the Jamuna River. The mausoleum is reflected in the water ripples. The image is unclear, which evokes thoughts of the unearthly nature of the Taj Mahal. In the morning at dawn, fog rises over the river and the palace seems to be floating in the clouds.

The fate of Shah Jahan

The Emperor had completed the construction of India's most beautiful palace, the Taj Mahal, and was about to begin the next one. The Shah wanted to build the same mausoleum on the opposite bank of the river, but from black marble. And connect both complexes with a bridge. This bridge was supposed to symbolize the victory of love over death.

But the emperor’s health failed. He planned to hand over control of the country to his first son, with whom he was close. But this was prevented by the intrigues of the Shah’s second son. He spread gossip that his father had lost his mind and was not allowed to choose his own heir. It was the second son who ascended the throne. He got rid of his brothers and imprisoned his father. Where exactly did the fallen emperor spend his last years unknown for sure. Most historians are inclined to believe that he was kept in the Red Fort. This building is opposite the mausoleum, on the opposite bank of the river. Shah spent the last eight years of his life there. I could admire the Taj Mahal and remember my beloved. He is buried with her in the palace crypt.

The fate of the Taj Mahal

Descendants did not treat the mausoleum with the same reverence as its creator. Two centuries later, the palace was perceived more as a place for entertainment, rather than as a shrine. Girls could afford to dance on the terrace, and rich young couples came to Agra, a city in India near the Taj Mahal, to celebrate their wedding. The mosque and guest house on the territory of the complex could easily be rented.

Following the Indians themselves, the British colonialists continued to plunder the Taj Mahal. They took stones, carpets and even doors. They easily came to the palace with a hammer and chisel to make it easier to tear out jewelry. At one point, the Governor General of India even planned to demolish the Taj Mahal and sell the marble. The palace was saved by the fact that at that time there were no buyers.

The mausoleum suffered even greater destruction during the Indian uprising of 1857 and at the end XIX century was in complete disrepair. The garden is overgrown, the graves are desecrated.

Another governor-general took up the task of restoration. Lord Curzon. The restoration of the Taj Mahal was completed in 1908.

The next danger came to the Palace in the second half of the 20th century. Agra, a city in India, next to the Taj Mahal, became an industrial center. Acid rain rained down on the Taj Mahal, damaging the marble. Only in the late 90s did the Indian authorities order all hazardous production to be moved from Agra.

Now the Taj Mahal is main symbol India. A tear on the cheek of eternity.

Rabindranath Tagore described the Taj Mahal as “a tear on the cheek of immortality,” Rudyard Kipling as “the personification of all that is immaculate,” and its creator, Emperor Shah Jahan, said that “the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.” Every year, tourists twice the population of Agra pass through the gates of the city to see, at least once in their lives, the building rightly called by many the most beautiful in the world. Few people leave disappointed.

This is truly a monument, beautiful in all seasons. There are those who love the sight of the Taj Mahal on Sharad Purnima, the first full moon after the monsoons, on a cloudless evening in October when the light is clearest and most romantic. Others like to view it at the height of the heaviest rains, when the marble becomes translucent and its reflection in the canals of the gardens surrounding the mausoleum is washed out in the rippling water. But it makes a mesmerizing impression at any time of the year and at any moment of the day. At dawn, its color changes from milky to silver and pink, and at sunset it looks as if made of gold. Look at it also in the midday light, when it is blindingly white.

Story

The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to his 14th child in 1631. Mumtaz's death broke the emperor's heart. They say he turned gray overnight. Construction of the Taj Mahal began the following year. It is believed that the main building was built in 8 years, but the entire complex was completed only in 1653. Shortly before the completion of construction, Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in the Agra fort, where he spent the remaining days looking at his creation through the window of the dungeon. After his death in 1666, Shah Jahan was buried here next to Mumtaz.

In total, about 20,000 people from India and Central Asia were employed in construction. Specialists were brought from Europe to make beautiful carved marble panels and decorate them in the Pietra Dura style (inlay using thousands semi-precious stones) .

In 1983, the Taj Mahal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and today looks as immaculate as it did after construction, although large-scale restoration was carried out at the beginning of the 20th century. In 2002, as the building gradually lost its color due to the heavy pollution of the city, it was refreshed using an ancient recipe for a facial mask used by Indian women to maintain beautiful skin. This mask is called multani mitti - a mixture of earth, cereal grains, milk and lemon. Now, within a few hundred meters around the building, only environmentally friendly vehicles are allowed.

Architecture

It is not known exactly who the architect of the Taj Mahal was, but the credit for its creation is often attributed to an Indian architect of Persian origin named Ustad Ahmad Lahori. Construction began in 1630. The best masons, artisans, sculptors and calligraphers were invited from Persia, the Ottoman Empire and European countries. The complex, located on the southwestern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, consists of five main buildings: the darwaza, or main gate; bageecha, or garden; masjid, or mosque; the nakkar zana, or rest house, and the rauza, the mausoleum itself, where the tomb is located.

The unique style of the Taj Mahal combines elements of Persian, Central Asian and Islamic architecture. Among the attractions of the complex are a marble floor with a black and white checkerboard pattern, four 40-meter minarets at the corners of the mausoleum and a majestic dome in the center.

Qur'anic verses written around arched openings appear to be the same size no matter how far they are from the floor - an optical illusion created by larger fonts and letter spacing as the height of the inscription increases. There are other optical illusions in the Taj Mahal mausoleum. Impressive pietra dura decorations include geometric elements as well as plant and flower designs traditional to Islamic architecture. The level of skill and complexity of work on the monument become clear when you begin to examine small parts: for example, in some places more than 50 precious inlays are used on one decorative element measuring 3 cm.

The gateway to the mausoleum gardens can be admired as a masterpiece in its own right, with graceful marble arches, domed chambers on the four corner towers and two rows of 11 small chattris (domes-umbrellas) right above the entrance. They provide the perfect frame for a first look at the entire ensemble.

Char Bagh (four gardens)- an integral part of the Taj Mahal, in a spiritual sense symbolizing paradise where Mumtaz Mahal ascended, and in artistic sense emphasizing the color and texture of the mausoleum. Dark cypress trees enhance the shine of the marble, and the channels (in those rare cases when they are full), converging on a wide central viewing platform, not only provide a wonderful second image of the monument, but also, since they reflect the sky, add soft illumination from below at dawn and sunset.

Unfortunately, vandals stole all the treasures of the tomb, but the delicate beauty of roses and poppies was still preserved in richly inlaid slabs of onyx, green peridot, carnelian and agate of various colors.

On both sides of the mausoleum there are two almost identical buildings: to the west - a mosque, to the east - a building that may have served as a pavilion for guests, although its main purpose was to provide complete symmetry to the entire architectural ensemble. Each of them looks beautiful - try looking at the pavilion at sunrise, and the mosque at sunset. Also walk out to the back of the Taj Mahal, to a terrace overlooking the Jumna River all the way to the Agra Fort. At dawn the best (and cheap) the viewpoint is located on the opposite bank of the river, where, according to popular (but probably unreliable) According to legend, Shah Jahan planned to install a mirror made of completely black marble, reflecting the Taj Mahal. A line of boats lined up along the shore, ready to transport tourists across the river.

The Taj Mahal itself stands on a raised marble platform at the northern end of the ornamental gardens, with its back facing the Yamuna River. The elevated position means that “only the sky is higher” - this is an elegant move by the designers. Decorative 40-meter white minarets adorn the building on all four corners of the platform. After more than three centuries, they tilted slightly, but perhaps this was intentional (installation at a slight angle from the building) so that in the event of an earthquake they would not fall on the Taj Mahal, but away from it. The red sandstone mosque on the western side is an important temple for the Muslims of Agra.

The Taj Mahal mausoleum was built from translucent white marble blocks, on which flowers are carved and a mosaic of thousands of semi-precious stones is laid out. It is a superb example of symmetry - the four identical sides of the Taj with magnificent arches decorated with scroll carvings in the Pietra Dura style and quotations from the Koran, carved in calligraphy and decorated with jasper. The entire structure is topped by four small domes surrounding the famous central onion dome.

Immediately below the main dome is the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal, a tomb (false) fine workmanship, surrounded by perforated marble slabs, decorated with dozens of different semi-precious stones. Here, breaking the symmetry, is the cenotaph of Shah Jahan, who was buried by his son Aurangzeb who overthrew him in 1666. Light penetrates into the central room through carved marble screens. The real tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are in a closed room on the ground floor below the main hall. They cannot be seen.

Requiem in Marble

Mahal means "palace", but in in this case Taj Mahal - diminutive name of Mumtaz Mahal ("jewel of the palace"), which was given to Shah Jahan's cousin when she married him. The daughter of his mother's brother, she was his constant companion long before he received the throne, and later she was the first lady among hundreds of others in his harem. During 19 years of marriage, she bore him 14 children and died giving birth to her last child in 1631.

Legend has it that Shah Jahan's beard - he was 39, just a year older than his wife - turned white virtually overnight after her death, and he continued to mourn for several years, dressing in white on each anniversary of her death. The construction of the Taj Mahal required twelve years of his tireless work with a Persian architect and craftsmen brought from Baghdad, Italy and France - a period that can be considered the highest expression of his grief. “The Empire has no sweetness for me now,” he wrote. “Life itself has lost all taste for me.”

Myths about the Taj Mahal

Taj - Hindu temple

A popular theory is that the Taj was actually a Shiva temple built in the 12th century. and later was transformed into the well-known Mumtaz Mahal mausoleum, owned by Purushottam Nagesh Oak. He asked to open the sealed basement rooms of the Taj to prove his theory, but in 2000, the Supreme Court of India rejected his request. Purushottam Nagesh also states that the Kaaba, Stonehenge and the papacy are also of Hindu origin.

Black Taj Mahal

This is the story that Shah Jahan planned to build a black marble twin of the Taj Mahal on the opposite side of the river as his own mausoleum, and this work was started by his son Aurangzeb after imprisoning his father in the Agra fort. Intensive excavations in the Mehtab Bagh area have not confirmed this assumption. No traces of construction were found.

Dismemberment of the Masters

Legend says that after the construction of the Taj was completed, Shah Jahan ordered the hands to be cut off and the eyes of the craftsmen to be gouged out so that they could never repeat it. Fortunately, this story has not found any historical confirmation.

The sinking Taj Mahal

Some experts claim that, according to some sources, the Taj Mahal is slowly leaning towards the river bed and this is caused by changes in the soil due to the gradual drying of the Yamuna River. The Archaeological Survey of India declared the existing changes in the height of the building to be minor, adding that no structural changes or damage have been found in the 70 years since the first scientific survey of the Taj Mahal was carried out in 1941.

Taj Mahal Museum

The Taj Mahal complex includes the small but wonderful Taj Museum (entrance 5 rupees; 10:00-17:00 Saturday-Thursday). It is located in the western part of the gardens. The museum houses original Mughal miniatures, a pair of ivory portraits of Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal (XVII century). There are also several well-preserved gold and silver coins from the same period, architectural drawings of the Taj, and several elegant celadon plates that are rumored to shatter into pieces or change color if there was poison in the food on the plate.

The best views of the Taj Mahal

On the territory of the Taj

You will have to pay 750 rupees for the pleasure, but only inside the complex around the Taj Mahal you can fully experience all the beauty and power of the most beautiful building on earth. Be sure to pay attention to the mosaic (Pietra Dura) inside niches with arches (pishtakov) on the four outer walls. Don't forget to take a flashlight with you to better see similar patterns inside the dark central hall of the mausoleum. Pay attention to the white marble and semi-precious stones interspersed with it.

From Mehtab Bagh

Tourists are no longer allowed to walk freely along the embankment on the opposite bank of the Yamuna River, but it is still possible to admire the Taj Mahal from behind, from Mehtaba Bagh Park (XVI century) on the other side of the river. The path leading down to the river will lead you to a place where the same views can be enjoyed for free, albeit from a limited perspective.

View from the south bank of the river

This is a great place to watch the sunset. Follow the path that runs along the eastern wall of the Taj Mahal down to a small temple by the river. There you will find boats that you can ride on the river and enjoy even more romantic views. Expect to pay approximately 100 rupees per boat. For safety reasons, it is better not to go here alone at sunset.

From the roof of a cafe in Taj Ganj

A great option for photographing at dawn is the rooftops of a cafe in Taj Ganj. The pictures come out very beautiful. We think the rooftop cafe at Saniya Palace Hotel is the best place. The location is great, there is a lot of greenery around. But in principle such good places there are many, and they all offer as a bonus a view of the Taj Mahal, which you can admire while enjoying a cup of morning coffee.

From Agra Fort

If you have a camera with a decent lens, you can take stunning photographs of the Taj Mahal from Agra Fort, especially if you are prepared to get up at dawn and catch the moment when the sun rises from behind its walls. Perhaps the best places to photograph are the Musamman Burj and Khas Mahal, the octagonal tower and palace where Shah Jahan was imprisoned and where he spent the last eight years of his life.

Information for visitors

Taj Mahal opening hours

The mausoleum is open daily from 6 am to 7 pm, except Friday (On this day it is open only to those who come to the Friday service at the mosque on the territory of the Taj Mahal).

You can also admire the Taj Mahal by moonlight - two days before and two days after the full moon, the mausoleum is open in evening hours– from 20.30 to midnight.

Entrance

Entrance to Taj Mahal costs 750 INR (about $12), children under 15 years old – free entry.

Best time to visit Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is magnificent at sunrise. This is definitely best time for visiting, and there are fewer people during these hours. Sunset is another magical time when you can enjoy wonderful views. You can view the Taj for five nights during the full moon period. The number of entries is limited. Tickets must be purchased a day before the visit from the Archaeological Survey of India Office (12227263; www.asi.nic.in; 22 Mall; Indians/foreigners 510/750 INR). Read more on their website. Please note that this office is known as Taj Mahal Office among rickshaw drivers.

Photo and video shooting

Photo and video shooting with professional equipment is prohibited (SLR Cameras due to its great popularity among tourists, as a rule, they are not considered professional equipment, but there may be problems if you have a very large lens). Permission to shoot with a regular camera will cost an additional 25 INR.

How to get there

The Taj Mahal is located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in the city of Agra - it is approximately 200 km away. from Delhi.

The following trains operate from Delhi to Agra:

• Shatabdi Express - leaves New Delhi Station at 6:00 am, returns at 20:40 (travel time 2 hours).
• “Taj-Express” - departs from Nizamuddin Station at 7:15, back at 18:50 (travel time 3 hours).
• In addition to them, all trains to Kolkata, Mumbai and Gwalior go through Agra.

In addition, you can get to Agra by bus (express from 3 hours), taxi (2000 INR) or by ordering a group tour (from 1500 INR, including entrance tickets).

From Agra itself you can get to the Taj Mahal by rickshaw or taxi.

Taj Mahal, mausoleum of Sultan Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Architect Ustad Isa. 1630-1652

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal Mausoleum is located in the city of Agra in northern India, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It was created in a style later called “Mughal”, which combined the traditions of Indian, Persian and Arabic architecture. Actually, the mausoleum was the first building built in the new spirit. The Taj Mahal was built at the behest of Shah Jahan (1592-1666). the fifth ruler of the Mughal dynasty, as the burial place of his wife Arjumand and a monument to their love. Arjumand was the daughter of the minister Jangir and is better known by the titles Mumtaz Mahal (Chosen of the Palace) or Taj Mahal (Crown of the Palace).
Initially, the tomb was called Raoza Mumtaz Mahal or Taj Bibiha Raoza, which in Arabic means “tomb of the mistress of my heart.” Only later, during the time of the English colonization of India, the modern name of the Taj Mahal was assigned to the building.

Architect controversy

After the conquestexploration of India by the British, a number of scientists put forward hypotheses that the truecreatorThe tomb was designed by a European architect. Possibly ItalianGeronimo Veroneo, who worked at the court of Shah Jahan. Or Frenchjeweler AAugustine de Bordeaux, one of the creators of the Golden Throne of the Mughals.Opponentsthey are objected to: in the architecture of the structure and construction techniques there are noeuro tracespei technical achievements of that time, but everything is connectedbetter thanowned Indian, Persian and Arab architecture. Specificwaysstone treatments used in construction were known onlyeasternmasters. And domes like the dome of the Taj Mahal were erected in thatperiod lin Samarkand and Bukhara.

LOVE IN STONE
Shah Jahan's beloved wife died in childbirth in 1631 at the age of 38. The saddened emperor decided to perpetuate her memory in a previously unseen tomb. The ruler of one of the most powerful and richest countries of that time took full advantage of the opportunities
of his position. He sent messengers to all the architectural centers of the Islamic world: Istanbul, Baghdad, Samarkand, Damascus and Shiraz, convening the most famous architects of the East. At the same time, drawings and plans of all the famous buildings in Asia were brought to his order in Agra. The ruler wanted to erect a building, the equal or even the like of which did not exist in the world.

Many projects were considered. Perhaps this was the first architectural competition in history. As a result, Shah Jahan settled on the version of the young Shiraz architect Ustad Isa.
Then the actual preparation for construction began. Masons from Delhi and Kandahar, considered the best in India, came to Agra. Artists and calligraphers were hired in Persia and Baghdad, decoration was done by Bukharians and Delhiites, and skilled gardeners from Bengal were invited to create the landscape ensemble. The management of the work was entrusted to Ustad Isa, and his closest assistants were the prominent Turkish architect Hanrumi and the Samarkand resident Sharif, who created the magnificent domes of the mausoleum. Thus, the Mumtaz Mahal mausoleum combined all the best that the architecture and decorative arts of the East had achieved at that time.

TAJ MAHAL MUSEUM

In addition to the actual architectural complex of the mausoleum, on the territory of the Taj Mahal there is also a museum exhibition dedicated to the history of the Mughal dynasty. It presents a unique numismatic collection, art and everyday objects of the 16th-17th centuries. Along the walls of the museum there are gardens in the famous Mughal style - copies of the garden surrounding the mausoleum.

Ustad Isa took late Indian architecture as a basis, in particular the Humayun Mausoleum - the burial place of the first Mughals and members of their families. But at the same time he made considerable changes, abandoning, for example, his predilection for numerous columns (there are none at all in the Taj Mahal). According to court historian Abdul Hamid Lahori. construction began six months after the death of Mumtaz Mahal and lasted 12 years. In 1643, the central building of the tomb was completed.

Construction was completely completed in 1648, but, apparently, after
After this, finishing continued for several more years. In total, construction and finishing took 22 years. More than 20 thousand people simultaneously participated in the work, for whom a special town of Mumtazabad was built near Agra.
The main material was white marble, delivered on elephants from the quarries of Johapur - more than three hundred kilometers away. Inlays with precious and semi-precious stones were widely used in decoration. There were Hindu Kush lapis lazuli, Chinese jade of all colors, Deccan moonstone, Persian amethysts and turquoise, Tibetan carnelian, and malachite imported from Russia. According to legend, “much more gold and silver than an elephant could carry away” was used for the inlays. Red sandstone and black marble were used for the main lines in the ornaments.
In order to raise materials to a greater height for the construction of the main dome, according to the design of the Turkish engineer Ismail Khan, a sloping earthen embankment 3.5 km long and almost 50 m high was built. On it, elephants could deliver marble blocks to the work site without interference. When Shah Jahan saw the completed mausoleum, he cried with admiration.

Despite its enormous size, the mausoleum looks weightless. In many ways, this effect is achieved thanks to the four minarets, which have a carefully planned deviation from the vertical axis. This was supposed to save the tomb from destruction by debris from the minarets in the event of an earthquake.

Soon, Shah Jahan wanted to build a similar mausoleum next to the Taj Mahal, but in black color - for himself.
However, this was not destined to come true. The emperor fell ill, and a war broke out in the country between his sons. Thanks to the support of the Muslim clergy, the younger one, the Islamic fanatic Aurangzeb, won, executing all his brothers and not even sparing his own father.
Shah Jahan spent the rest of his life in the casemate of the famous Red Fort of Agra, built by his great-grandfather Akbar, the founder of the dynasty. From there he had a view of the Taj Mahal - the last consolation of the captive. According to the chronicler Abdul Hamid Lahori, feeling the approach of death, the prisoner asked his jailers to bring him to the window and, looking at the tomb of his beloved wife, “sank into a deep, eternal sleep.” According to the will, he was buried next to Arjumand.

The proportions of the Taj Mahal were so perfect that even a legend was born that during its creation they resorted to magic and the help of otherworldly forces. Another legend says that at the end of the work, the architects' eyes were gouged out, and the craftsmen's hands were cut off so that they could not create anything like that again. Of course, this is a myth. On the contrary, both the architects and builders were generously rewarded, and in addition, their work was well paid throughout the construction of the mausoleum. Which, by the way, gave Shah Jahan’s enemies reason to claim that the construction of the Taj Mahal ruined the treasury of the empire. But this is not true either: at that moment the Mughal power was very rich and occupied almost the entire Hindustan. Simultaneously with the construction of the tomb, extensive irrigation work was carried out in Punjab and successful wars were waged with its neighbors.

BEAUTY AND TIME
Time and people have not been kind to the monument. Aurangzeb was the first to destroy it, seizing the golden lattice that surrounded the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal. Condemning his father for senseless waste, he himself built a semblance of the Taj Mahal south of Agra - for himself and his eldest wife. But the copy turned out to be very unsuccessful and almost unknown to the general public.
After Aurangzeb, the mausoleum was looted under Nadir Shah in 1739. Then the silver doors of the main hall were taken away, later replaced by bronze ones that still exist today. When the British army occupied Agra in 1803, the soldiers took about 200 kg of gold from the Taj Mahal and picked out many precious stones from its walls. Most of these treasures went to the East India Company.
Only at the end of the 19th century. By order of the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, the monument was taken under protection. Since then, his safety has been the concern of the Indian authorities - first the colonial ones, and after the declaration of independence - the national government. The leadership of the Department of Archaeological Surveys of India even achieved a ruling from the Supreme Court of the country to impose a ban on industrial activities in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal. Airplane flights are prohibited over the mausoleum so that vibration from the engines does not damage the unique monument.
Unfortunately, the normal functioning of the museum has been hampered by politics for several years now. Due to the activation of terrorist organizations in India, the security of the Taj Mahal had to be entrusted armed forces and intelligence agencies. The central pavilion of the mausoleum was closed to visitors back in 1984, after a clash between guards and militants occurred there. Since then, the Indian government has feared a repeat attack and has closely monitored the surrounding area. Ironically, the terrorist attacks against the Taj Mahal, built by one of India's greatest Muslim rulers, were planned and carried out by Islamic radicals.
Recently, the mausoleum has also been threatened by the forces of nature. Due to soil subsidence, changes in the hydrological regime and several earthquakes, the foundations of the minarets shifted, and only urgently taken measures to strengthen the soil saved the architectural miracle from destruction.

Mosaic panels on the walls of the Taj Mahal.
Inside, the walls of the Taj Mahal are decorated with mosaic images of fabulous trees and flowers. The thoughtful arrangement of windows makes the mausoleum literally transparent to sunlight and moonlight, and it almost does not need artificial lighting. In the center of the main hall there is an octagonal burial chamber topped with a low dome. Here, behind an openwork stone fence inlaid with precious stones, there are false tombs - cenotaphs. The real sarcophagi of Empress Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are located in the dungeon exactly under the cenotaphs. These tombs are covered with fantastic floral designs made of semi-precious stones.

The Taj Mahal is the pearl of world architecture. It is recognized as one of the most beautiful structures on Earth, and its silhouette is considered the unofficial symbol of India. In 1983, the Taj Mahal was included in the list of sites under the protection of UNESCO.

IDEAL PROPORTIONS
In terms of plan, the Taj Mahal is somewhat similar to a classic Islamic religious building. In addition to the mausoleum itself, the complex of buildings includes a mosque and a covered gallery made of red sandstone, an arched gate, as well as an extensive garden with fountains and pools, laid out so that the tomb is clearly visible from all sides.
The mausoleum was erected on a vast platform of red sandstone, seven meters high, on which, in turn, a three-meter high Luzhe was built on it and the Taj Mahal itself rests. This absolutely symmetrical octagonal building, 57 meters high, is topped with a 24-meter dome, shaped like a lotus bud. The facades are decorated with pointed arches and niches, creating a subtle play of light and shadow.
The mausoleum is especially beautiful against the backdrop of the blue sky, and all this splendor is reflected in the rectangular pool located directly in front of the building. This is the first such experience in the world. In Europe, two years after the completion of the Taj Mahal, French architect André Le Nôtre used a body of water designed to reflect the façade of the palace.
White marble in combination with a carefully selected shade of the dome tiles - to match the color of the sky - creates the impression of incredible lightness of the monumental ensemble. The beauty of the Taj Mahal is emphasized by the play of light, especially in the evening twilight, when the marble is painted in various shades of purple, pink, and golden colors. Early in the morning the building looks like it is woven from lace. seems to be floating in the air.

The girl that the Indian Prince Jahan once saw in the market was so beautiful that he immediately brought her to the palace, making her his beloved wife: Mumtaz Mahal managed to captivate her husband so much that he did not look at other women until her death. At the same time, she did not sit at home, she always accompanied him on military campaigns and was the only person in the world he trusted and with whom he often consulted.

This gives grounds to assert that the story that Mumtaz was of plebeian origin is a myth far from reality. In fact, she had a noble origin, was the daughter of a vizier and was a distant relative of Jahan’s mother, and therefore received extremely a good education(otherwise the young woman would hardly be able to give constructive advice).

They lived together for about seventeen years, during which time Mumtaz gave birth to fourteen children to her husband, and died during the birth of the last child. First, she was buried in the city in which she died, in Burhan Noor, and six months later her remains were transported to one of the most prosperous cities in India, Agra. It was here that the inconsolable widower decided to build a tomb for his wife, which was supposed to be worthy of Mumtaz in beauty and would tell descendants a story of incredible love by its very appearance.

It was decided almost immediately in which city to build the Taj Mahal mausoleum (“taj” means “crown”, “mahal” means “palace”): the suburb of Agra, one of the most beautiful and developed cities in India, located on the river bank, was suitable for this the best way. To be able to build a mosque on the chosen territory, Shah Jahan had to exchange this site for a palace located in the center of Agra.

He did not have to regret this: this area near the city was not only extremely beautiful and picturesque, but also turned out to be seismically resistant - in the years following the completion of construction work, earthquakes failed to cause serious damage to the structure.

The main building was designed by Turkish architect Ismail Afandi from the Ottoman Empire, and his compatriot Usatad Isa is considered the creator of the architectural image of the monument - it was their designs that Jahan liked most. The choice of the ruler turned out to be successful: the erected Taj Mahal (Agra) turned out to be one of the most outstanding monuments in the world, successfully combining the styles of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles, and was recently recognized as one of the wonders of the world.

Construction of the tomb

Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and construction lasted twenty-one years (the tomb was completed ten years earlier). To build this unique complex, more than 20 thousand workers from all over India, as well as architects, artists, and sculptors from nearby countries, were involved in the construction work.

An area near the city (Agra) measuring 1.2 hectares was dug up, after which, in order to reduce the flowability of the soil, the soil was replaced. The level of the site planned for the construction of the mosque was raised 50 meters above the shore level. After this, the workers dug wells and filled them with rubble stone, thus obtaining a foundation, which was also supposed to act as a kind of cushion during earthquakes and would prevent the complex from collapsing.

Interesting fact: instead of bamboo scaffolding, the architects decided to use brick scaffolding: it was easier to work with heavy marble. The stone scaffolding looked so impressive that the architects were afraid that it would take several years to dismantle it. Jahan found a way out of the situation by announcing that any resident of Agra could pick up the required number of bricks - and the scaffolding was dismantled in a few days.

To deliver building materials to the mosque, the Hindus built a gently sloping earthen platform along which oxen dragged luggage located on specially designed carts. They were delivered to the city from all over India (and not only). The most important building material is marble white were brought to the city from Makrana and Rajasthan, located at a distance of 300 km from Agra.

The marble blocks were raised to the required height using special devices. The water needed for construction work was first extracted from the river, after which it was poured into a reservoir, from where it rose into a special reservoir and was sent through pipes to the construction site.

Architectural complex

All buildings of the Taj Mahal, Agra architectural complex were extremely carefully planned from a geometric point of view. The central building of the complex is a mausoleum that tells the story of the love story of the ruling couple of India. This wonder of the world is surrounded on three sides by jagged walls built from red sandstone, thus leaving it open for viewing only from the river side.

The Taj Mahal tomb, Agra, is surrounded by several more tombs in which other wives of the ruler were buried (they were also built from red sandstone, which was often used in the construction of crypts of that time). Not far from the main mausoleum is the Music House (now there is a museum there).

The main gate, like the main building, is made of marble, the entrance is decorated with an openwork white portico, on top there is an eleventh dome, on the sides there are two towers with white domes. On both sides of the central tomb, two large structures were built from red sandstone: the building on the left was used by the residents of Agra as a mosque, and the building on the right served as a boarding house. They were built for balance - so that during an earthquake nothing would collapse.

In front of the mausoleum there is a luxurious park, the length of which is 300 meters. In the middle of the park, there is an irrigation canal lined with marble, in the center of which a pool was built, in which the mausoleum is completely reflected (paths lead from it to the four minarets).

According to descriptions of eyewitnesses, in former times Agra and its park amazed with the abundance of vegetation: roses, daffodils, and a huge number of garden trees grew here. After India came under the British Empire, its appearance changed significantly - and it began to resemble an ordinary English lawn.

What does the tomb look like?

The main structure of this architectural complex, located in the city of Agra, is the Taj Mahal mausoleum, built of white marble. It is best viewed from the river, since there is no wall on this side.

It looks especially gorgeous at dawn: the tomb is reflected in the water, creating the illusion of unreality and, if you look at it from the opposite bank, you get the impression that this miracle is floating in the pre-dawn fog, and the rays that appear create an amazing play of colors on the walls.

Such airiness and a feeling of “floating” are given to the mausoleum primarily by unusual proportions, when the height of the building has the same dimensions as its width, as well as a huge dome, which seems to carry with it the smaller elements of the structure - four small domes and minarets.

The Taj Mahal Mausoleum, Agra tells the world the beautiful love story between Jahan and Mumtaz Maha and is of incredible beauty. The height and width of the mausoleum is 74 meters. The facade of the tomb is square in shape, with semicircular niches built into it, giving the massive building a weightless appearance. The mausoleum is crowned by a 35-meter-high marble dome, shaped like an onion.

The top of the dome is decorated with a month, the horns of which are directed upward (until the 19th century it was golden, and then it was replaced an exact copy, made of bronze).

At the corners of the tomb, emphasizing the shape of the main dome, there are four smaller vaults, completely repeating its shape. At the corners of the mausoleum, at a slight inclination in the direction opposite to the tomb, there are four gilded towers (minarets) about 50 m high (the inclination was provided at the early stage of construction work so that if they fell, they could not damage the main structure).

The walls of the Taj Mahal (Agra) are painted with a fine pattern and built of white marble with gems inserted into it (28 types of precious stones in total). Especially many decorative elements can be seen on pedestals, gates, mosques, as well as at the bottom of the mausoleum.

Thanks to the unique marble, the mausoleum looks different throughout the day: during the day the tomb is white, at dawn it is pink, and at moonlit night turns silver. Previously, the entrance doors were made of pure silver, but later, like many other valuable decorative elements, they were stolen (by whom - history is silent).

Inside view

The inside of the Taj Mahal (city of Agra) looks no less remarkable than the outside. The entrance to the mausoleum is decorated with a gallery with elegant columns. The hall inside the tomb is an octagon, which can be entered from any side of the tomb (now this can only be done from the park). Inside the hall, behind a marble screen, there are two sarcophagi made of white marble, which in reality are false tombs, since the graves themselves are located under the floor.

On the lid of the sarcophagus of the ruler's wife there are inscriptions praising her. The only asymmetrical element in the entire complex is Jahan’s sarcophagus, which was installed after his death: the ruler’s coffin is slightly larger than his wife’s coffin. The height of the walls inside the building is 25 m, and the ceiling decorated with the sun is made in the form of an internal dome.

The entire space inside the hall is divided by eight arches, above which you can read quotes from the Koran. The four middle arches form balconies with windows through which light enters the hall (besides these windows, the sun's rays enter the room through special openings in the roof). You can climb to the second floor of the mausoleum via one of two side staircases. The walls inside the tomb are everywhere decorated with mosaics made of gems, which form various symbols, plants, flowers, letters.

Death of Jahan

After the completion of the construction of the Taj Mahal, Agra, the ruler’s son, Aurangzeb, overthrew his father from the throne and put him in prison, in which the former ruler spent several years (according to one of the legends, its windows overlooked the tomb of his beloved wife, which he built).

After Jahan's death, the son fulfilled his father's will and buried him next to his wife. This is how the love story ended, imprinting its memory for centuries in a unique building that still stands today.

The Taj Mahal is a monument of Mughal style architecture, which combines elements of Persian, Indian and Islamic architectural styles. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child (Shah Jahan himself was later buried here). The Taj Mahal is located in the western part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, and is represented by an entire architectural complex, and not just the well-known marble mausoleum. Construction of the building began around 1632 and was completed in 1653; 20 thousand artisans and craftsmen worked. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is called "the jewel of Muslim art in India, one of the universally recognized masterpieces of heritage, admired throughout the world."

The Taj Mahal is located south of the city walls of the city of Agra. Shah Jahan exchanged this plot, owned by Maharaja Jai ​​Singh I, for Grand Palace in the center of Agra. Construction of the foundations and mausoleum took about 12 years, and the rest of the complex was completed after another 10 years. Since the complex was built in several stages, there are several completion dates. For example, the mausoleum was built in 1643, but work on the rest of the complex was completed in 1653. The estimated construction cost of the Taj Mahal varies depending on sources and calculation methods. The approximate total cost of construction is estimated at 32 million rupees, which in today's money is several trillion dollars.

Construction began with excavation work on a site of approximately three acres (12,000 m2), the bulk of which consisted of leveling and raising the surface of the area by 50 meters above the river level. Wells were dug at the site of the mausoleum, which, filled with rubble stone, formed the foundations of the structure. Instead of scaffolding of tied bamboo, large-scale scaffolding of brick was erected to surround the tomb. They were so impressive in size that the craftsmen in charge of the construction feared that dismantling them could take years. According to legend, Shah Jahan announced that anyone could take and keep as many bricks as they wanted, and the forests were dismantled by the peasants almost overnight. A 15 km long rammed earth ramp was built to transport marble and other materials. Groups of 20-30 oxen pulled the blocks on specially designed carts. Water for construction was extracted from the river using a rope-bucket system using animal power and drained into a large reservoir, from where it rose to a distribution tank. From there it was distributed into three auxiliary tanks and transported through pipes to the construction complex.

Construction materials were purchased from many regions of India and Asia. More than 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials during construction. Brilliant white marble comes from Rajasthan, jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China, turquoise from Tibet, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, sapphires from Sri Lanka and carnelian from Arabia. A total of 28 types of different precious and semi-precious stones are embedded in the white marble of the Taj Mahal.

The name Taj Mahal can be translated as “The Greatest Palace” (where Taj is the crown and mahal is the palace). The name Shah Jahan can be translated as “Ruler of the World” (where Shah is the ruler, Jahan is the world, the universe). The name Mumtaz Mahal can be translated as “Chosen One of the Palace” (where Mumtaz is the best, mahal is palace, courtyard). Similar meanings of words are preserved in Arabic, Hindi and some other languages.

More than 20,000 people who came from all over Northern India took part in the construction. Among the group of 37 people responsible for artistic image complex, there were sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, masters of inlay from south india, stonemasons from Balochistan, as well as a specialist in the construction of towers and a master in cutting marble ornaments.

History has preserved very few names of craftsmen and architects, since at that time in the Islamic world, patrons were mainly praised, not architects. From contemporary sources it is known that the construction was supervised by a large team of architects. There are mentions that Shah Jahan himself personally participated in the construction more than any other Mughal ruler before him. He held daily meetings with architects and superintendents, and historians say he often proposed ideas or adjusted ideas they proposed. Two architects are mentioned by name: Ustad Ahmad Lahauri and Mir Abdul Karim.

Famous builders of the Taj Mahal are:

Ustad Ahmad Lahauri from Iran is the chief architect. Mir Abdul Karim from Shiraz (Iran) is one of the main leaders. Ismail Afandi from the Ottoman Empire is the builder of the main dome of the mausoleum. Iranians Ustad Isa and Isa Muhamed Efendi are believed to have played key role in architectural design. Puru from Benarus (Iran) is the supervising architect. Gazim Khan from Lahore - cast a gold tip for the mausoleum. Chiranjilal from Delhi is a master sculptor and mosaic artist. Amanat Han from Shiraz (Iran) is a master calligrapher. Mohamed Hanif, chief executive masonry Mukarimat Han from Shiraz (Iran) is the general manager.

The main elements of the architectural complex of the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal's architectural style incorporates and expands on the building traditions of Islam, Persia, India, and the Mughals (although modern research into the monument's architecture points to French influence, especially in the interior). The overall design is based on the architecture of a series of Timurid and Mughal buildings, including the Gur Emir (Tomb of Tamerlane), I'timād-ud-Daulah and Jama Masjid in Delhi. Under the patronage of Shah Jahan, the Mughal architectural style reached a new level. Before the construction of the Taj Mahal, the main building material there was red sandstone, but the emperor promoted the use of white marble and semi-precious stones.

The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daula (1622-1628), also called the Baby Taj, is located in the city of Agra. The architecture of the mausoleum resembles a smaller Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal Plan:

1. Moonlight Garden 2. Yamuna River 3. Minarets 4. Mausoleum - Mosque 6. Guest House (Jawab) 7. Garden (Charbagh) 8. Great Gate (safe access) 9. Outer Courtyard 10. Bazaar (Taj Ganji)

Moonlight Garden.

To the north of the Taj Mahal complex, across the Yamuna River, there is another garden belonging to the complex. It is made in a style characteristic of Agra, and is one with the embankment on the north side of the river. The width of the garden is identical to the width of the main part of the complex. The entire design of the garden is focused on its center, which is a large octagonal pool, which serves as a kind of mirror for the Taj Mahal. Since Mughal times, the garden has experienced numerous floods that devastated large parts of it. Of the four sandstone towers located in the border corners of the garden, only one, located in the south-eastern part, has survived. There are remains of two buildings located at the north and south end of the garden, which are believed to be garden buildings. On the north side, there was a waterfall that flows into the pool. The water supply comes from aqueducts on the western side.

Mausoleum.

The centerpiece and main element of the Taj Mahal complex is the 68-meter-high white marble mausoleum. It is located on a square-shaped hill with a side of 100 meters and a height of about 7 meters. There are four minarets in the four corners of this square. The mausoleum was built in accordance with strict rules symmetry, and is a square with a side of 56.6 meters, with cut corners in which arched niches are located. The structure is almost perfectly symmetrical about four axes, and consists of several floors: a basement floor containing the actual tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz, a main floor that contains identical cenotaphs of the tombs below, and roof terraces.

The Taj Mahal has an optical focus. If you move with your back to the exit, facing the Taj Mahal, it will seem that this temple is huge compared to the trees and environment.

Spire: its height is 10 meters, it was originally built of gold, but after being looted by the British colonialists, it was replaced with a bronze copy. Lotus: carved contours at the top of the dome, in the shape of a lotus. Main dome: also called “amrud”, height 75 meters. Drum: cylindrical base of the dome. Guldasta: decorative spiers along the edges of the walls. Additional domes (Chatri): elevations above the balconies in the form of small domes. Framing: closing the panel on the arches. Calligraphy: Stylized Koranic verses above the main arch. Niches: in the four corners of the mausoleum there are six niches located on two levels. Panels: decorative panels framing the main walls.

The entrance to the mausoleum is made of four huge arches, in the upper part, representing a cut-off dome. The top of each arch extends beyond the roof using an addition to the façade.

In general, the building is topped with five domes, arranged completely symmetrically, like the rest of the complex. All domes have lotus leaf decorations at the top. The largest of them (18 meters in diameter and 24 in height) is located in the center, and the other four smaller ones (8 meters in diameter) are located around the central one. The height of the central dome is emphasized and further increased by a cylindrical element (drum), which is exposed above the roof to a height of 7 meters, and on which the dome rests. This element, however, is almost invisible; it is hidden from view by the protruding part of the entrance arches. This gives the impression that the dome is much larger than it actually is. Tall decorative spiers are built in the corners of the outer walls, which also provide a visual accent to the height of the dome.

The thickness of the walls of the mausoleum is 4 meters. The main building materials are red sandstone and brick. In fact, a small outer layer with a thickness of only 15 centimeters is made of marble.

The hierarchical sequence of the entire complex eventually converges in the main hall containing the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. The cenotaph of Mumtaz is installed in the geometric center of the building. Surrounding the cenotaphs is an octagonal screen consisting of eight intricately carved marble panels. Interior decoration made entirely of marble, and decorated with precious stones arranged in concentric octagons. This arrangement is characteristic of Islamic and Indian culture, for whom spiritual and astrological topics are important. The walls from the inside are richly decorated with plant flowers, writings and ornaments, symbolizing the resurrection in the Garden of Eden.

Muslim traditions prohibit decorating graves and bodies, so Shah Jahan and Mumtaz are buried in a simpler room located below the cenotaph hall. Mumtaz's cenotaph measures 2.5 by 1.5 m and is decorated with inscriptions extolling her character. The cenotaph of Shah Jahan is located on the western side of the cenotaph of Mumtaz and is the only asymmetrical element of the entire complex.

Mosque and guest house (Jawab).

On the western and eastern sides of the mausoleum, with facades facing it, there are a mosque and a guest house (Jawab - translated as “answer”, it is believed that this building was built for symmetry with the mosque, and was used as a guest house), measuring 56x23 meters and 20 meters in height. Unlike the mausoleum, built of white marble, these structures are built of red sandstone, but are located on the same hill as the mausoleum with minarets. These buildings are completed by 3 domes, where the central dome is slightly larger than the others, and 4 octagonal towers in the corners. In front of each of the two buildings there is a water tank: in front of the mosque, water is necessary for the ablution ritual.

True, there are some differences between these two buildings. For example, in a mosque there is a niche indicating the direction to Mecca (mihrab), in guest house she's not there. Another difference is the way the floors in these buildings are made; if in the mosque the floor was laid out in the form of the outlines of 569 prayer rugs, then in the guest house on the floor there are writings quoting the Koran.

Minarets.

The minarets have the shape of a truncated cone with a height of 41.6 meters, and are located on the same marble terrace as the mausoleum. They are slightly angled outward so that if strong earthquake and collapses will not damage the mausoleum. The minarets are slightly lower than the central dome of the mausoleum, and seem to emphasize its grandeur. Like the mausoleum, they are completely covered with white marble, but the supporting structure is made of brick.

They were designed as functioning minarets, a traditional element of mosques. Each minaret is actually divided into three equal parts by two rows of balconies. At the top of the tower there is another row of balconies, and the structure is completed by a dome, similar to those installed on the mausoleum. All domes have the same decorative elements in the form of a lotus and a gilded spire. Inside each minaret, along its entire length, there is a large spiral staircase.

Garden.

The garden is a square with a side of 300 m, divided into 4 equal parts by two canals that intersect in the middle, and has a characteristic appearance of the Mughal era. Inside there are flower beds, shady streets and water channels that create a striking effect, reflecting the image of the building behind them. Each square formed by the channels is in turn divided into 4 more parts by paved paths. It is said that 400 trees were planted in each of these small squares.

To correct the fact that the mausoleum is located in the northern part of the garden, and not in its center, a pool was placed at the intersection of two canals (in the center of the garden and the entire complex), which reflects the image of the mausoleum. On the south side of the pool, a bench is installed in the center: this is an invitation to the visitor to admire the entire complex from an ideal vantage point.

The structure of the garden goes back to the very vision of paradise at that time: it was believed that paradise is an ideal garden abundantly irrigated with water. The idea of ​​the garden as a symbol of paradise is reinforced by the inscriptions on the Great Gate, inviting one to enter heaven.

Most Mughal-era gardens were rectangular in shape with a tomb or pavilion in the center. The architectural complex of the Taj Mahal is unusual in that main element(mausoleum) is located at the end of the garden. With the opening of the Moonlight Garden on the other side of the Yamuna River, the Archaeological Survey of India began to interpret this to mean that the Yamuna River itself was included in the garden's design and was to be seen as one of the rivers of Paradise. The similarities in the garden's layout and architectural features with the Shalimar Gardens suggest that they may have been designed by the same architect, Ali Mardan.

Very similar to the Taj Mahal both in Mughal origin and in appearance Humayun's tomb in Delhi. This tomb of the Mughal emperor was also built as a sign of great love - not just a husband for his wife, but a wife for her husband. Despite the fact that Humayun's tomb was built earlier, and Shah Jahan, when constructing his masterpiece, was guided by the architectural experience of Humayun's tomb, it is little known in comparison with the Taj Mahal.

Great Gate.

The Great Gate has a special meaning in Islamic architecture: it symbolizes the transition point between the bustle and noise of the external material world and the spiritual world, where calm and spiritual peace reign.

The Great Gate is quite a large structure (41 by 34 meters and 23 meters in height), divided into three floors, built of red sandstone and marble. The entrance has the shape of a pointed arch, which is located in the center of the structure. The gate, like all other parts of the complex, is designed to be symmetrical. The height of the gate is exactly half the height of the mausoleum.

On top of the great gate is crowned with 22 small domes, located in two rows along the inner and outer edges of the gate. In each of the four corners of the structure there are big towers, thus repeating the architecture of the mausoleum. The Great Gate is decorated with quotations from the Koran in carefully chosen places.

Courtyard.

Courtyard (Dzilauhana) - which literally means the front of the house. It served as a place where visitors could leave their horses or elephants before entering the main part complex. Two smaller copies of the main mausoleum are located in the southern corners of the courtyard. They are located on a small platform, which can be reached by stairs. Today it is not clear who is buried in these graves, but it is known that they are women. Two small buildings were built in the northern corners of the courtyard; they served as housing for visitors to the mausoleum and believers. These structures were destroyed in the 18th century, but were restored at the beginning of the 20th century, after which (until 2003) the building on the east served as a gardener's area, and the western one as a barn.

Bazaar (Taj Ganji).

The bazaar (market) was built as part of the complex, initially used for workers' housing, and later as a place to store supplies and a space that complements the entire architectural ensemble. The bazaar area was a small town during the construction of the Taj Mahal. It was originally known as Mumtazabad (Mumtazabad city), and is now called Taj Ganji.

After its construction, Taj Ganji became a frequent city and the center of economic activity of the city of Agra, bringing goods from all parts of the empire and the world. The area of ​​the market was constantly changing, and after construction in the 19th century, it no longer corresponded to the original plans of the builders. Most of the ancient buildings and structures were demolished or rebuilt.

Other buildings.

The Taj Mahal complex is surrounded on three sides by a red sandstone wall, and on the fourth side there is an embankment and the Yamuna River. Outside the walls of the complex, additional mausoleums were built for Shah Jahan's other wives, and a larger mausoleum for his beloved maid Mumtaz.

Water supply.

The architects of the Taj Mahal provided the complex with a complex system of pipes. Water is supplied from the nearby Yamuna River through a system of underground pipes. In order to collect water from the river, a rope system with buckets was used, driven by several oxen.

In order to ensure the necessary pressure in the pipe system, the main tank was raised to a height of 9.5 meters, and to equalize the pressure throughout the entire area of ​​the complex, 3 additional tanks were used, located in different parts of the complex. In order to supply water to all parts of the monument, terracotta pipes with a diameter of 0.25 meters were used, which were buried to a depth of 1.8 meters.

The original pipe system is still present and in use, proving the skill of the builders who were able to create a system that lasted almost 500 years without the necessary Maintenance. However, it is worth noting that some underground water pipes were nevertheless replaced in 1903 with new cast iron pipes.

Threats

In 1942, to protect the Taj Mahal from attack by the German Luftwaffe and later the Japanese Air Force, protective scaffolding was erected by order of the government. Protective forests were built again during the India-Pakistan War in 1965 and 1971.

Later threats came from pollution environment along the banks of the Yamuna River, including from the activities of the Mathura Refinery. Due to pollution, a yellow coating formed on the domes and walls of the Taj Mahal. To control pollution at the monument, the Indian government has created a 10,400 square kilometer zone around it where strict emission standards apply.

Airplanes are prohibited from flying over the Taj Mahal.

Recently, a threat to the structural integrity of the Taj Mahal has emerged due to the declining groundwater level in the Yamuna river basin, which is falling at a rate of about 5 feet per year. In 2010, cracks appeared in some parts of the mausoleum and the minarets that surround the monument. This is due to the process of rotting of the wooden supports of the base of the monument that began, in the absence of water. According to some forecasts, the tomb could collapse within five years.

History of the Taj Mahal.

Period of Mughal rule (1632 - 1858)

Immediately after the construction of the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan's own son Aurangzeb placed him under house arrest. When Shah Jahan died, Aurangzeb buried him next to his wife inside the Taj Mahal. The complex has been clean and well maintained for almost a hundred years, financed by taxes from the market and the rich royal treasury. In the mid-18th century, maintenance costs for the complex dropped significantly, resulting in the complex being barely maintained.

Many tourist guides say that after his overthrow, Shah Jahan sadly admired his creation, the Taj Mahal, from the windows of his prison for many years, until his death. Usually these stories mention the Red Fort - the palace of Shah Jahan, built by him at the zenith of his reign, part of which his son Aurangzeb turned into a luxurious prison for his father. However, here the publications confuse the Delhi Red Fort (hundreds of kilometers from the Taj Mahal) and the Red Fort in Agra, also built by the Great Mughals, but earlier, and which is really located next to the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan, according to Indian researchers, was kept in Delhi's Red Fort and could not see the Taj Mahal from there.

British period (1858th-1947th)

During the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the Taj Mahal was destroyed by British soldiers and officers. At the end of the 19th century, the British Viceroy in India, Lord Curzon, organized the restoration of the Taj Mahal, which was completed in 1908. Additionally, the gardens inside the Taj Mahal were restored in the British style that continues to this day. In 1942, during World War II, the government decided to create protective scaffolding over the mausoleum, fearing possible attacks by the German Luftwaffe and later by the Imperial Japanese Air Force.

Modern period (1947th -)

During the wars between India and Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, the Taj Mahal was also surrounded by protective forests. Later, threats emerged from environmental pollution along the banks of the Yamuna River, including from the activities of the Mathura Oil Refinery. Due to pollution, a yellow coating formed on the domes and walls of the Taj Mahal. To control pollution at the monument, the Indian government has created a 10,400 square kilometer zone around it where strict emission standards apply. In 1983, the Taj Mahal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Legends and myths of the Taj Mahal.

Black Taj Mahal.

One of the most famous legends states that Shah Jahan planned to build his own black marble mausoleum on the other side of the Yamuna River, symmetrical to the Taj Mahal, and wanted to connect them with a silver bridge. This can be evidenced by the remains of black marble across the Yamuna River, in the Moonlight Garden. However, excavations in the 1990s revealed that it was white marble used to build the Taj Mahal, which changed color over time and became black. This legend can be confirmed by the fact that in 2006, after the reconstruction of the pool in the Moonlight Garden, a dark reflection of the white Taj Mahal could be seen in its water. This legend became known from the notes of Jean-Baptiste Taverniera, a European traveler who visited Agra in 1665. His notes note that Shah Jahan was dethroned by his son Aurangzeb before construction of the black Taj Mahal began.

Killing and maiming of workers.

A famous myth tells that Shah Jahan, after building the Taj Mahal, killed or maimed the craftsmen and architects so that they could not build something as magnificent. Some other stories claim that the builders signed a contract agreeing not to participate in the construction of any similar structure. However, it is known that the builders of the Taj Mahal later built the Jama Masjid in Delhi.

Italian architect.

In response to the question of who designed the Taj Mahal? The West created a myth about the Italian architect, since Italy in the 17th century was the center of modern art. The founder of this myth is a missionary from the Augustinian Order, Father Don Manrique. He proclaimed the architect of the Taj Mahal to be an Italian named Geronimo Veroneo because he was in India at the time of construction. The statement is very controversial due to the fact that Geronimo Veroneo was not an architect, he produced and sold jewelry. In addition, there is no evidence in early European sources that Western architects could design in the style of other cultures with which they were not previously familiar.

Demolition of the Taj Mahal by the British.

Although there is no concrete evidence, it is mentioned that the British Lord William Bentinck (Governor General of India in the 1830s) planned to demolish the Taj Mahal to auction off the white marble from which it was built. His biographer John Rosselli says the story arose because William Bentinck was involved in the sale of marbles taken from the Agra Fort.

Taj Mahal - temple of the god Shiva.

Indian historian P. N. Oak claims that the Taj Mahal was originally used as a Hindu temple to the god Shiva, and Shah Jahan simply began to use it differently. This version was rejected as unfounded and lacking evidence in the form historical facts. The Supreme Court of India has rejected P. N. Oak's request to declare the Taj Mahal a Hindu cultural monument.

Looting of the Taj Mahal.

Although it is known that the British stole gold from the spiers of the Taj Mahal, and the precious stones that decorated the walls of the mausoleum, there are myths that suggest that many other decorations were stolen from the Taj Mahal. History says that the cenotaphs of the Shah and his wife were gilded and decorated with diamonds, the doors of the mausoleum were made of carved jasper, and the space inside was decorated with rich carpets.

Tours of the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal attracts a large number of tourists. UNESCO documented more than 2 million visitors in 2001, including more than 200 thousand from abroad. The cost of admission is two-tiered, with a significantly lower price for Indian citizens and a higher price for foreigners. The use of internal combustion engine vehicles is prohibited near the complex and tourists must either walk from the car park or take an electric bus to reach it.

Operating mode.

The monument is open to visitors from 6 am to 7 pm, with the exception of Fridays and the month of Ramadan, when the complex is open for believers. In addition, the complex opens at night on the day of the full moon, two days before the full moon and two days after the full moon. The museum inside the Taj Mahal complex is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, admission is free.

Every year from February 18 to 27, the Taj Mahotsav festival is held in Agra, in the place where the master creators of the Taj Mahal lived. The festival celebrates the arts and crafts of the Mughal era and Indian culture in general. At the festival you can see processions with the participation of elephants and camels, drummer shows and colorful performances.

Cost and visiting rules.

An entrance ticket to the complex will cost a foreigner 750 rupees (435 rubles). This high cost is explained by the fact that it consists of the entrance tax of the Archaeological Society of India (250 rupees or 145 rubles) and the fee of the Agra Development Department (500 rupees or 290 rubles). Children under 15 years old have free admission.

Night session tickets for the cultural site cost Rs 750 for foreigners and Rs 500 for Indian citizens and must be purchased 24 hours before the visit from the Archaeological Society of India ticket office on Mall Road. The ticket price includes a half-liter bottle of water, shoe covers, a guide map for Agra, and travel by electric transport.

When entering the Taj Mahal, visitors will have to go through a security screening procedure: a frame, a manual search, things are scanned and necessarily inspected manually. Your camera and other unnecessary items must be placed in a storage room. You can only film the mausoleum with a video camera from afar. Just take pictures up close. You cannot take photographs inside the mausoleum itself; this is strictly monitored by the staff of the complex.

It is prohibited to bring into the complex: food, matches, lighters, tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, food supplies, knives, electronic devices, tripods.

How to get there.

The city of Agra is well connected to major cities of the country and lies on the Golden Triangle tourist circuit (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur). possible in several ways.

1. By plane from Delhi 2. By rail from any large city 3. By car Distance to major cities:

Bharatpur - 57 km, Delhi - 204 km, Jaipur - 232 km, Khajuraho - 400 km, Lucknow - 369 km

Best time of year to visit Taj Mahal: November to February. At other times it is usually either too hot or too damp.

The properties of the stone from which the Taj Mahal is built are such that it changes its color depending on the angle of light falling on it. Thus, it makes sense to arrive here at dawn and, after spending the whole day, leave at sunset to absorb all the diversity of colors. To see a masterpiece in divine golden shades, you can arrive in advance in the evening at one of the hotels located near the South Gate (Taj Ganj area) of the Taj Mahal and come here early in the morning when the complex opens. At six o'clock in the morning you have a chance to see the Taj Mahal in silent solitude and in all its grandeur: during the day the complex is filled with crowds of tourists.

The city itself, Agra, is quite dirty and inhospitable, so you shouldn’t spend a lot of time traveling here. One day is enough to touch the beauty and get to know the “legend made of stone.”

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