It was erected to honor Shah Jahan's favorite wife
Shah Jahan married multiple spouses throughout his adult life, as did many of his forefathers. Even though Shah Jahan had a soft spot for all women, none of them compared to his third wife (and first love), Arjumand Banu Begum, also known as Mumtaz Mahal. Their marriage lasted 19 years and produced 14 children.
Mahal died at the young age of 39 due to complications after the birth of the final kid. Shah Jahan was so grieved by the loss of his long-time companion that he decided to build a magnificent mausoleum to honor her. Construction on the Taj Mahal and its environs began one year after her death in 1632 and lasted a little over two decades.
It is covered in Islamic calligraphy inscriptions.
The Arabic calligraphic inscriptions are Quranic texts that have been artistically inscribed in numerous locations. The inscription on the huge gate reads, "O soul, you are at peace," which may be the most visible. Return to the Lord in peace, and he will return to you in peace.”The calligrapher also left a modest signature, "Written by the insignificant creature, Amanat Khan Shirazi."
One of the Seven Wonders of the World is the Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World by people from all over the world in 2007. It was started due to the destruction of all of the world's listed wonders, except the Cheops Pyramid.
The Taj Mahal's architecture is a mix of Islamic, Persian, and Indian styles.
If I had to pick one building in the world with the most magnificent architecture and details, it would without a doubt be the Taj Mahal. It appears grand and beautiful in photographs, but it is far more so when seen in person.
You'll quickly wonder how humans can create such a lovely location and why we no longer build places like this. The Taj Mahal is one of the most magnificent buildings globally, and there are no words to describe its full magnificence.
Construction necessitated a massive amount of manpower.
The Taj Mahal was built by a team of 20,000 artisans led by architect Lahauri. Animals, as well as men, were present at work. During the two-decade construction effort, about a thousand elephants were used to haul heavy building materials.
The calligrapher who worked on the Taj Mahal signed his work with a witty title.
Hundreds of elegantly printed Muslim scripture lines cover the Taj Mahal's walls, each of which was transcribed from the Quran under the supervision of head calligrapher Abd-al Haqq, also known as Amanat Khan Shirazi.
Abd-al Haqq was also given credit for his calligraphy, which was an infrequent occurrence at the time. Abd-al Haqq, ever the humble gentleman, inlaid his John Hancock at the base of the inside dome with the humbling, "Written by the insignificant being, Amanat Khan Shirazi."
The only component that isn't completely symmetrical is the gravesite
With precise symmetry throughout its long and wide widths, the Taj Mahal is an obsessive's dream. The cemetery is the only outlier to this otherwise similar artistic concept.
Mumtaz Mahal's tomb is in the precise center of the palace crypt, but Shah Jahan's grave, added to the mausoleum after his death in 1666, upsets the artistic balance with a west-of-center-center resting position.
During times of war, the Taj Mahal "hides."
In times of foreign animosity, the Taj Mahal's standing as an Indian icon has made it a vulnerable target. The Indian government and people have gone to tremendous pains to defend their valuable landmark from attack during World War II, and the subse. Thes fought between India and Pakistan throughout the twentieth century.
To this goal, architects built enormous scaffolding to hide the structure from bombers flying overhead. Instead of viewing one of the world's wonders, pilots would see what appeared to be a clump of bamboo when the hoax was operating.
In the event of a collapse, the palace was planned so that everything would slide away from the tomb
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The Taj Mahal's four minarets—the 130-foot-tall spires at the platform's edge—were not placaesthetic reasons but strategic reasons. It was not uncommon for enormous architectural projects to collapse under their own weight in the 17th century.
Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the Taj Mahal's primary architect, inclined the towers slightly away from the rest to protect Mumtaz Mahal's crypt, preventing any harm to the grave.
The Taj Mahal must be kept at least 500 meters away from cars and buses.
Because India suffers from severe air pollution due to excessive traffic, cars and buses must be kept at least 500 meters away from the Taj Mahal's entry to avoid the damaging effects of pollution. Don't worry; it's only a short walk from the bus stop.
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