THE SPECIALTY OF TAJ MAHAL-INDIA

 Taj Mahal is the white domed marble mausoleum at Agra in India, one of the most admired monuments in the world. it was built under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal’s  construction style combines elements from Persian, Turkish, indo-Islamic  styles having  Ustad Ahmad Lahauri as the principal designer.the construction of taji mahali started in 1631 when mumtaz mahal,the third wife of emperor shah jahan died just after she gave birth at the age 0f 39.it was from that reason the emperor was inspired  to create the wonderful monument, the Taj Mahal, as a mausoleum as the memory of his wife.

TajMahal front  view

 Speciality Taj Mahal is the white domed marble mausoleum at Agra in India, one of the most admired monuments in the world. it was built under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal’s  construction style combines elements from Persian, Turkish, indo-Islamic  styles having  Ustad Ahmad Lahauri as the principal designer.the construction of taji mahali started in 1631 when mumtaz mahal,the third wife of emperor shah jahan died just after she gave birth at the age 0f 39.it was from that reason the emperor was inspired  to create the wonderful monument, the Taj Mahal, as a mausoleum as the memory of his wife. 

TajMahal

The mausoleum stands on a square plinth,it a symmetrical building with an iwan, and arch-shaped doorway. There is white tomb  set against the plain across the river cause colors change at different hours of the day and during different seasons.it is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. The entire Taj Mahal complex consists of a number of buildings comprising of a mosque which stands to the west of the Taj Mahal  made from red sandstone, a guesthouse and the mausoleum, a long and beautiful walkway leads to the main mausoleum, four waterways divide the gardens that stand in front of the Taj into four parts and then, meet in a pool at the center

Taj Mahal

Structural details

1. On a platform 22' high and 313' square. Each tower is 133 feet tall
2. Building is 186 feet high and 70 wide.
3. Corner minarets are 137' tall.  
4. Main structure 186' on a side,  
5. dome to 187'.
   The mausoleum is 57 m (190 ft) square in plan.
6.  "The central inner dome is 24.5 m (81 ft) high and 17.7 m (58 ft) in diameter, but is surmounted by an outer shell nearly 61 m (200).  
7. The Taj stands on a raised, square platform (186 x 186 feet) with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon.  
8. Its central dome is fifty-eight feet in diameter and rises to a height of 213 feet. It is flanked by four subsidiary domed chambers.  
9. The four graceful, slender minarets are 162.5 feet each.
10. The entire mausoleum (inside as well as outside) is decorated with inlaid design of flowers and calligraphy using precious gems such as agate and jasper.  
11. The main archways, chiseled with passages from the Holy Qur’an and the bold scroll work of flowery pattern, give a captivating charm to its beauty. The central domed chamber and four adjoining chambers include many walls and panels of Islamic decoration.

Taj Mahal section detail

 Building elements

1. Finial-decorative crowning element of the Taj Mahal domes
2. Lotus decoration-depiction of lotus flower sculpted on tops of domes
3. Onion Dome-massive outer dome of the tomb (also called an amrud or apple dome)
4. Drum-cylindrical base of the onion dome, raising it from the main building
5. Guldasta-decorative spire attached to the edge of supporting walls
6. Chattri-a domed and columned kiosk
7. Spandrel-upper panels of an archway
8. Calligrpahy-stylised writing of verses from the Qu'ran framing main arches
9. Arch-also called pishtaq (Persian word for portal projecting from the facade of a building) and
10. Dado-decorative sculpted panels lining lower walls

The architectural design uses the interlocking arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and symmetry of architectural elements. The mausoleum is finished with purely white marble and was completed in 1648. 

site plan of Taj Mahal detail

Taj Mahal video