TAJMAHAL

The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is an Islamic religious building, mosque, and tomb in India, built in the 17th century by king Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Its chief architect was Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

The building is in the city of Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Widely thought of as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, it is one of India's biggest tourist attractions.

It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with the Agra Fort, 2.5 kilometers away. It was listed as one of the 7 Wonders of the World| in 2007. It is located on the south bank of the Yamuna river in Agra. It was originally a white monument, but because of pollution, the Taj Mahal is turning yellow. It Is one of the most notable examples of Islamic architecture built.

When the Taj Mahal was built most of India was ruled over by the Mughal empire which ruled over all India except for the South. Shah Jahan was a Mughal emperor who came into power around 1628. According to historians Shah Jahan loved Building and architecture which gave him the nickname “ The Builder Of Marvels”.

The Taj Mahal was built for Shah Jahan’s third wife Mumtaz Mahal meaning the “Jewel of the palace”. She became ill after giving birth to their 14th child. As she was about to die she asked Shah Jahan to make her the most beautiful tomb that was ever built. She passed away in 1631. In 1657 Shah Jahan fell ill. Shah Jahan died in captivity in 1666 and his tomb was placed beside Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb.

Fun facts:- In modern-day money, the Taj Mahal would cost around 115 million to build. The Taj Mahal was built by 22,000 laborers, painters, stonecutters, and embroidery artists. It took 17 years to build It took over 1,000 elephants to transport the material used to build the Taj Mahal. Another Taj Mahal was supposed to be made with black marble but was canceled due to a war between The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his son.

Construction

The Taj Mahal is an example of Muslim Architecture – a mixture of building designs influenced by Middle Eastern, Indian, Turkish, and Ottoman architecture.

The Taj Mahal was constructed with materials from all over the world, and over 20,000 people were used to move building materials. It is generally thought that Ustad Ahmad Lahauri was in charge of the construction. The construction was finished in 1648. The construction of the Taj Mahal is about 6000 feet...

Tours

The Taj Mahal had 2 million visitors in 2001 and in 2014-2017 there are more than 7-8 million visitors.

Damages

Many people think it is one of the most beautiful buildings ever built. However, it is slowly being damaged by acid rain in the nearby Yamuna Basin. A nearby oil refinery has been blamed for some of the damage. In 1996, the Indian Supreme Court said that local industry was harming the Taj Mahal. The court set up an area of 10,400 square meters around the Taj Mahal called the Taj Trapezium Zone. Industries within this zone must use natural gas instead of coal.

Because of pollution, the Taj Mahal is getting yellower slowly.