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Where is and when the mausoleum of the Taj Mahal was built

The Taj Mahal was built in the middle of the 17th century inthe order of Shah Jahan, the ruler of the Great Mogul dynasty, in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz-Mahal. The large city of Agra, with a population of about 2 million people, is located in the northern part of India, about 200 kilometers south of the country's capital, Delhi, for a long time (until 1658) was the capital of the Great Mogul dynasty that conquered India in 1525. Therefore, it was in this city that the ruler Shah Jahan, who was grieving for the death of his beloved wife, ordered the construction of a grand mosque in her honor, which at the same time was to be the place of the last rest of the Mumtaz Mahal. Construction began in the early 30-ies of the XVII century, and was completed in 1652 (according to other sources, in 1653). The place for construction was chosen on the bank of the river Jamna to the south of the fortress wall surrounding Agra. According to the surviving information, it is known that almost 20 thousand people were employed in the construction of the Taj Mahal.

On the grandiosity of construction can be judged bythe fact that the land allocated for the mausoleum was artificially raised almost 50 meters above the river to protect the structure from flooding.

Than the Taj Mahal is famous

The erected building turned out to be trulymagnificent. The mausoleum with a large central and four small angular domes, reaching a height of 74 meters, is located on a large beautiful platform, with the 4th high minarets. Its walls are lined with white marble with an elaborate carving and inlay from semiprecious and ornamental stones - turquoise, malachite, agate, carnelian. The best marble varieties with the characteristic feature were used for facing: in the daytime under the bright rays of the southern sun it seems dazzling white, at dawn or dusk - gently pink, and at night, in the moonlight - silvery. Visitors to the mausoleum can see the tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.

More precisely, there are gravestones in the mausoleum, and the former ruler and his wife are buried deep underground.

A very beautiful park adjoins the mausoleum withpools, perfectly in harmony with the Taj Mahal and emphasizing its splendor. The Taj Mahal mausoleum is the main attraction of Agra. But in this city there are many other interesting objects, for example, the famous Red Fortress (the former residence of the Great Moguls), the mausoleum of Itimad-ud-Daul, the Akbar mosque.

History of the Taj Mahal

In 1612 the descendant of Tamerlane, Prince Khurram(Shah Jahan) married Mumtaz-Mahal. Prince was delighted with the beauty of Mumtaz-Mahal, the wedding could be held only with the favorable location of the stars, this moment had to wait five years, and their meetings were impossible. In 1628, Shah Jahan began to rule India, all noted the very tender and intimate relations of the Sultan and his wife, despite the presence of a large harem. This was the only person whom the ruler trusted completely, he took his wife even in support of military campaigns, since he did not want to stay without her for a long time. A year later Shah Jahan's reign, at the age of 17, his beloved wife died during the birth of their 14th child. The Sultan has lost a loved one, a best friend and a wise adviser. For two years the sultan wore mourning, and his hair was completely gray with grief. A new impetus to the continuation of life was his oath, to build a unique tombstone worthy of his wife, who later became a symbol of their love.

Building

In 1632 the beginning of construction was startedTaj Mahal, which lasted more than 20 years. The city of Agra was chosen, at that time the economic and social center of India. Shah Jahan attracted more than 20,000 of the best masters and workers of India and Asia to work. The best materials were bought for erecting a grand monument. The mausoleum was built of white marble, using a record number of precious and semiprecious stones for decoration and interior decoration. The doors were made of silver, the parapet was of gold, and the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal was covered with a cloth studded with pearls. In 1803, the tomb was looted by Lord Lake, 44 gold pieces were taken out, many precious stones were taken from the walls. Lord Curzon, came to power, passed laws that allowed the Taj Mahal to be saved from total embezzlement. In 1653 the Sultan began construction of the second mausoleum, an exact copy of the Taj Mahal, only of black marble. The construction could not be completed, the country was exhausted from internal wars. In 1658, Shah Jahan was deposed by one of his sons, and was held for nine years under arrest. Buried Shah Jahan in one crypt with his beloved wife in the Taj Mahal.

Features of the structure

Taj Mahal is located in the center of a large park,you can get into that through the gates, which symbolize the entrance to paradise. In front of the mausoleum is a large pool of marble. The building itself looks weightless, despite its impressive size (height 75 meters). This is a symmetrical octagonal building, topped by a large white dome. Mumtaz-Mahal was buried in the dungeon, just like a dome resembling a flower bud. When measuring the building, a clear symmetry and many interesting geometric coincidences were revealed.