Where is the Taj Mahal located and what is it famous for? Why was the Taj Mahal built?

The Taj Mahal is known all over the world and has been attracting many tourists for 350 years. The silhouette, familiar from countless photographs, has become a symbol of India. It seems that the Taj Mahal is floating between heaven and earth: its proportions, symmetry, surrounding gardens and a mirror of waters make an unprecedented impression.

The monument erected by the Sultan in honor of his beloved wife is not only striking in its appearance, but also in the history that accompanied the construction of the mausoleum.

History of the Taj Mahal mausoleum

In 1612, Prince Khurram (the future ruler of Shah Jahan, whose name means "Lord of the Universe"), married the beautiful Mumtaz Mahal. According to one version, the future princess was a commoner, but the prince, seeing her eyes, simply could not resist. According to another, more likely version, Mumtaz Mahal was the niece of Jahan's mother and the daughter of the first vizier.

The lovers could not get married right away: according to local tradition, the wedding ceremony could take place only with a favorable arrangement of the stars, so Shah Jahan and his beloved had to wait for a happy day for five whole years, during which they never saw each other.

Shah Jahan ascended the throne in 1628. As befits a ruler, he had a large number of wives, but Mumtaz Mahal remained the most beloved. She accompanied him even on distant military campaigns, was the only person whom he completely trusted.

In 1629, having given birth to the 14th child, the wife of the ruler of Shah Jahan, known as Mumtaz Mahal ("Chosen by the Palace"), died. It happened in a tent pitched in a camp near Burkhanpur

She was 36 years old, of which 17 she was married. It should be noted that for a woman in those days it was a respectable age, and frequent childbirth undermined health. So a rare woman in India lived to be forty.

Sultan Shah Jahan was very sad, because he lost not only his beloved wife, but also a wise adviser who helped him in the most difficult political situations. There is evidence that he wore mourning for her for two years, and his hair turned gray from grief. The Sultan took an oath to build a grave monument worthy of the memory of his wife, completely unusual, with which nothing in the world can compare.

The city of Agra, which in the 17th century was considered the capital on a par with Delhi, was chosen as the place for the future mausoleum. The place was chosen surprisingly well: no one has yet caused serious damage to the mausoleum.

In 1632, construction began, which lasted more than 20 years. More than 20,000 workers were employed here. Many skilled masons, stone cutters and jewelers rushed to Agra from all over India and Western. Ismail Khan from designed the magnificent dome. Lines from the Holy Koran on various parts of the mausoleum - for example, at the main entrance to the Taj Mahal, were made by the famous calligrapher Amanat Khan Shirazi. The main executors of the mosaic work were five Hindus.

The chief architect Ustad (meaning "master") Isa Khan was given unlimited powers. It should be noted that not everyone agrees that it was Isa Khan who was the architect, assuring that she was not so technically advanced as to be able to independently build such a perfect temple. Supporters of this version say that most likely some invited Venetian master supervised the construction. Like it or not, now it is unlikely to be established. There is no information about who supervised the construction in any document. Only the inscription on the Taj Mahal itself remained, which reads: "The builder was not a mere mortal, for the construction plan was given to him by heaven."

At the direction of Shah Jahan, only the best were selected for the memorial in honor of his beloved wife. All materials for the mausoleum were delivered from afar. Sandstone was delivered to Agra from Sikri, semi-precious stones - from the mines of India, Persia and Central Asia. Jade was brought from, amethyst from, malachite from Russia, carnelian from Baghdad, turquoise from Persia and Tibet.

The white marble from which the Taj Mahal is made was delivered from the quarries of Makrana, located 300 kilometers from Agra. Some of the marble blocks were huge, and for transportation they were loaded into huge wooden carts, which were harnessed by several dozen buffaloes and oxen.

White marble is the basis of the entire Taj Mahal. From above, the walls were covered with thousands of precious and semi-precious stones, and black marble was used for calligraphic ornaments. It is thanks to this processing that the building is not pure white, as it is depicted in many photographs, but shimmers with many shades, depending on how the light falls on it.

Even in our time, the building of the mausoleum creates a feeling of unprecedented luxury, although earlier it looked even richer. Once the doors to the Taj Mahal were made of silver, with hundreds of small silver studs hammered into them. Inside there was a parapet of gold, and a cloth studded with pearls lay on the tomb of the princess, set on the very site of her burning. Unfortunately, it was all stolen. When Lord Lake occupied Agra in 1803, his dragoons carried 44,000 "tol" of pure gold from the Taj Mahal. British soldiers took out a lot of precious stones from the walls of the mausoleum. As Lord Curzon testifies, "It was customary for soldiers, armed with a chisel and hammer, to pick out precious stones from the tombstone of the emperor and his beloved wife in broad daylight." After becoming Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon introduced laws that saved the Taj Mahal and thousands of other monuments from total destruction.

When construction came to an end, in 1653, the aging ruler gave the order to proceed with the construction of a second building - a mausoleum for himself. The second mausoleum was supposed to be an exact copy of the first, but made of marble, and between the two mausoleums there was to be a black marble bridge. But the second mausoleum was never erected: the people began to grumble - the country was already impoverished from numerous internal wars, and the ruler spends a lot of money on such buildings.

In 1658, Aurangzeb's son seized power and kept his father under house arrest for nine years in Agra Fort, an octagonal tower. From there, Shah Jahan could see the Taj Mahal. Here, at dawn on January 23, 1666, Shah Jahan died, not taking his eyes off his beloved creation until the last moment. After his death, he was reunited with his beloved again - according to the will, he was buried next to, in the same crypt with Mumtaz Mahal.

Features of the structure of the Taj Mahal mausoleum

Airiness is created by proportions unusual for us - the height is equal to the width of the facade, and the facade itself is cut through by huge semicircular niches and seems weightless. The width of the building is equal to its total height - 75 meters, and the distance from the floor level to the parapet above the arched portals is half the entire height. Many more lines can be drawn and a whole series of amazing patterns and correspondences can be found in the proportions of the Taj Mahal, which is equal in height to a twenty-story building, but by no means overwhelming in its size.

This perfectly symmetrical octagonal building measures 57 meters in perimeter and is topped by a central dome 24.5 meters high and 17 meters in diameter. When the giant dome was being erected, for more convenient delivery of the necessary materials to a greater height, a sloping earth embankment 3.6 kilometers long was built according to the project of Ismail Khan.

The remains of Mumtaz Mahal are buried in a dungeon, just under the very center of a large white dome, shaped like a flower bud. The Mughals were followers of Islam, and in Islamic art, the dome points the way to heaven. An exact copy of the sarcophagus has been installed at the floor level so that visitors can honor the memory of the Empress without disturbing the peace in her tomb.

The entire park is surrounded by a fence on three sides. The entrance made of stone is decorated with a white patterned "portico", and "covered" with 11 domes on top, on the sides there are two towers, also crowned with white domes.

The Taj Mahal is located in the middle of a park (its area is almost 300 sq. m), which can be accessed through a large gate, symbolizing the entrance to paradise. The park is arranged in the form of a road that leads directly to the entrance to the Taj Mahal. In the middle of this "road" is a large marble pool, with an irrigation canal stretched to it. During the time of Shah Jahan, ornamental fish swam in the pool, and peacocks and other exotic birds strode solemnly along the paths. Guards, dressed in white clothes and armed with blowguns, guarded the garden from birds of prey.

The mausoleum is located in the center of a vast rectangular area (length 600 m, width 300 m). The short north side runs along the banks of the Jumna River. On the south side, a third of the territory is occupied by outbuildings and ends with a monumental gate leading into the walled area that makes up most of the rectangle.

The facades of the mausoleum are decorated with sloping lancet arches. In addition, the so-called "stalactites" are used here - joints of small cantilever niches hanging over each other. Stalactites support projecting forms and are located at the base of the dome, in niches, under the cornices and on the capitals of the columns. They are made of plaster or terracotta and create an exceptionally subtle play of chiaroscuro.

A wide staircase leads to the very center of the facade. It is customary to leave shoes at its base, as before entering the temple.

The inside of the building is no less beautiful than the outside. The snow-white walls are decorated with stones and intricate patterns. Fourteen surahs from the Koran - a traditional decoration for Muslim architecture - are crowned with arches above the windows. On the walls are garlands of unfading stone flowers. In the center is a carved marble screen, behind which two false tombs are visible. In the very middle is placed the chamber of the tomb, which has a square with beveled corners in plan. The chamber contains the cenotaphs of the Taj Mahal and Shah Jahan, surrounded by an openwork marble fence.

Mausoleum Taj Mahal today

The Taj Mahal mausoleum is the most visited place in India. Thousands of tourists come here from all over the world. From all four sides of the mausoleum, police officers are on duty, who vigilantly monitor all visitors. They guard the entrance to the upper platforms of the mausoleum (before this passage was closed, dozens of suicides jumped from the minarets, most often the reason was unrequited love - symbolically, because the Taj Mahal is also called the "temple of love"). The police also make sure that tourists do not take pictures of the building up close, since the Taj Mahal is recognized as a national shrine.

It should be noted that scientists are seriously concerned about the future of the mausoleum. In October 2004, two Indian historians issued a warning that the Taj Mahal was tilting and could collapse or subside if the authorities in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where the famous mausoleum is located, did not take over the area immediately adjacent to the monument. Of particular concern is the Jumna, located next to the Taj Mahal. This is due to the drying up of the riverbed. The Government of India has promised to allocate a sufficient amount for special works.

It is undeniably necessary to protect this architectural monument. After all, this is not only the most famous mausoleum, but also one of the most beautiful buildings on earth. traveler Edward Lear, who visited India in the middle of the 19th century, wrote in his diary: "All people in the world are divided into two groups - those who have seen the Taj Mahal, and those who have not been honored with this happiness."

Taj Mahal was built in India in the city of Agra. This mausoleum-mosque is located on the banks of the Jumna River, the longest tributary of the Ganges. Taj Mahal recognized one of the 7 wonders of the world, which seriously distinguishes it from the general background of the sights of our planet. In 1983, the architectural monument was recognized as one of the objects under the protection of UNESCO. Many people go to India just to see the mausoleum, because it is known even to people who are far from architecture.

Taj Mahal: a love story

The Taj Mahal is called the monument of eternal love. And that's why. The mosque was erected by order of the ruler Shah Jahan, who wished perpetuate the image of his wife, whose name was Mumtaz Mahal (the abbreviated name is Taj Mahal, which means "Pride of the Palace"). She died giving birth to her 14th child, which plunged the padishah into such grief that he decided to renounce the throne. A more prosaic version indicates that Shah Jahan was simply overthrown, but this is not so important, because the value of the creation erected on his orders does not diminish from this.

There is another legend of the Taj Mahal that this architectural monument was supposed to have "double", but not white, but black color. The excavations have not confirmed this assumption. The dark marble found was actually white. It's just that its color has changed over time. Most likely, a second similar mausoleum was conceived, because the ruler loved symmetry. The padishah did not have time to do this, since his son overthrew him. They say that until the end of his days, Shah Jahan admired the mosque from the dungeon.

That is why the Taj Mahal has not one, but two graves - the inconsolable ruler and his beloved. By the way, their bodies are not buried in tombs, but strictly under them, underground.

Who built the Taj Mahal?

The mausoleum began to be built in 1632. This process involved over 22,000 craftsmen who were collected from all over the empire. The competition for the best project won Usto Isa Khan Effendi. It was his sketches that formed the basis of the Taj Mahal. There are legends about the further fate of the builders. In particular, there is a legend that says that they were all executed at the end of the work.

The site on which it is built used to belong to Maharaja Jai ​​Sigh. The padishah liked the land so much that he exchanged it with a subject for a palace in the middle of Agra. The soil was completely dug up. The level of the site on which the construction of the mosque was carried out was raised by 50 meters. The foundation was created in a special way so that the Taj Mahal had a truly reliable foundation.. The platform on which the building stands is made of marble blocks. Its area is 29 m 2.

The construction of the Taj Mahal was accompanied by the use of innovative construction techniques, which makes this architectural monument even more significant. An example is brick scaffolding (usually bamboo was used as a material for this structure).

It took more than 20 years to create a masterpiece mausoleum. Construction was carried out in stages. First there were tombs and a platform, and then minarets, a mosque, etc. More than 1,000 elephants were used to transport materials.

Our days

Every day the Taj Mahal is visited by many thousands of tourists. It is not only the property of world culture, but also symbol of india. People from all over the world come to the city with the Taj Mahal mausoleum.

Despite the careful attitude, a serious problem has recently emerged. Cracks were found on the walls of the building. This is due to the fact that the river flowing nearby becomes shallower. This leads to a change in the structure of the soil. Taj Mahal is sinking, which leads to the formation of unpleasant cracks.

In addition, his white marble turns yellow with age. The reason is too dirty air. Even the ban on the passage of cars near the mausoleum and the ever-expanding park area do not save. Because of this, his periodically cleaned with white clay.

On Fridays, the exposition of the palace is closed for viewing, as on this day Muslims pray in the Taj Mahal mosque.

Photo gallery of Taj Mahal

Instead of a conclusion

Finishing the story about the Taj Mahal, I would like to note once again that it is difficult to describe it. Buildings like this need to be seen. Any witness to his greatness experiences a feeling that is difficult to describe in words. That is why visiting the mausoleum-mosque is an obligatory event for any person who has come to India!

Video about Taj Mahal

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Mausoleum Taj Mahal

Inside the mausoleum there are two tombs - the shah and his wife. In fact, their burial place is located below - strictly under the tombs, underground. The time of construction refers to approximately 1630-1652. The Taj Mahal is a five-domed structure 74 m high on a platform, with 4 minarets at the corners (they are slightly tilted away from the tomb so as not to damage it in case of destruction), which is adjacent to a garden with fountains and a pool.

The walls are made of polished translucent marble (which was brought to the construction site 300 km away) with inlaid gemstones. Turquoise, agate, malachite, carnelian, etc. were used. Marble has such a feature that in bright daylight it looks white, pink at dawn, and silvery on a moonlit night.

Architecture

The mausoleum has numerous symbols hidden in its architecture and layout. So, for example, on the gate through which visitors to the Taj Mahal enter the park complex surrounding the mausoleum, four final verses from the 89th sura of the Koran “Dawn” (Al-Fajr) are carved, addressed to the soul of the righteous:

“O thou soul at rest! Return to your Lord contented and satisfied! Enter with My servants. Enter My Paradise!"

On the left side of the tomb is a red sandstone mosque. On the right is a replica of the mosque. The whole complex has axial symmetry. The tomb has a central symmetry with respect to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. This symmetry is broken only by the tomb of Shah Jahan, which was built there after his death.

present tense

Recently, cracks have been discovered in the walls of the Taj Mahal. According to scientists, the appearance of cracks may be due to the shallowing of the Jumna River flowing nearby. The disappearance of the river will lead to a change in the structure of the soil and the subsidence of the mausoleum, and perhaps even to its destruction. It also began to lose its legendary whiteness due to polluted air. Despite the expanding park area around the Taj Mahal and the closure of a number of particularly dirty industries in Agra, the mausoleum is still turning yellow. It has to be cleaned regularly with a special white clay.

Tourism

Every day, the Taj Mahal is visited by tens of thousands of people, due to tourists, the "Indian pearl" brings a lot of money to the country's treasury. The Taj Mahal receives between 3 and 5 million visitors a year, more than 200,000 of them from abroad. Most tourists come during the cool months of the year - October, November and February. The movement of vehicles with internal combustion engines near the complex is prohibited, so tourists approach the parking lot on foot, or they can take an electric bus. The Havasspuras (northern courtyard) is currently being restored - to be used as a new visitor center. In a small town to the south, known as Taj Ganji or Mumtazabad, caravanserais, bazaars and markets were built to meet the needs of visitors and workers. The Taj Mahal also appears on several lists as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, including a 2007 list of the New Seven Wonders of the World (after polling more than 100 million votes).

For security reasons, only water in transparent bottles, small video cameras, cameras, mobile phones and small handbags can be brought inside the Taj Mahal complex.

The name Taj Mahal can be translated as "The Greatest Palace" (where taj is a crown and mahal is a 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 "The Chosen One of the Court" (where mumtaz is the best, mahal is a palace, courtyard). Similar meanings of words have been preserved in Arabic, Hindi and some other languages.

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

Humayun's tomb in Delhi is very similar to the Taj Mahal in terms of Mughal origin and appearance. This tomb of the Mughal emperor was also built as a sign of great love - only not a husband for his wife, but a wife for her husband. Despite the fact that Humayun's tomb was built earlier, and Jahan was guided by the architectural experience of Humayun's tomb in the construction of his masterpiece, it is little known compared to the Taj Mahal.

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 the environment.

Film appearance

• " Collision with the abyss" - The Taj Mahal is shown against the backdrop of a meteorite exploding in the sky.
• "Life after people" - The Taj Mahal is shown after 1000 years without people - earthquakes will overturn all the minarets, and then the mausoleum itself will collapse.
• "Mars attacks! » - aliens pose against the backdrop of an exploding mausoleum.
• " Last dance"- the main character of the film, condemned to death, dreams of visiting the Taj Mahal. In love with her, but unable to save her from the verdict, the lawyer visits the mazvoli after her execution.
• "Escape" - the main character helps the director of the prison build a model of the Taj Mahal
• "Fire" - a film, the first part of the trilogy of Deepa Mehta.
• "Slumdog Millionaire"- the protagonist of the film recalls how he and his brother made money from tourists on illegal excursions.

Gallery

see also

Notes

Links

• Photos and full history of the Taj Mahal on Toptravel.ru
• The history of the Mughal family and dynasty against the background of their creations (Taj Mahal, the tombs of Humayun, Babur, etc.), the Mughal influence on the art of India
• New 7 wonders of the world. Taj Mahal is the symbol of India. (History. Mumtaz. Description of the temple.)

UNESCO World Heritage in India

Categories:

• World Heritage in alphabetical order
• World Heritage in India
• Uttar Pradesh
• Temples and mausoleums of Islam
• mausoleums
• Appeared in 1654
• Monuments of India
• Architecture of the Mughal Empire
• Islamic architecture
• Architecture of India
• Uttar Pradesh Tourism

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

Synonyms:

• Allen
• Madhya Pradesh

See what the "Taj Mahal" is in other dictionaries:

Taj Mahal- a well-known monument of Indian architecture of the Mughal period, built on the banks of the river. Jumna, near Agra. Built around 1630 52 (architects, probably Ustad Isa and others) as the mausoleum of the wife of Shah Jahan, which later was ... ... Art Encyclopedia

The address: India, Agra
Start of construction: 1632
Completion of construction: 1653
Architect: Ustad Ahmad Lahauri
Height: 72 m
Coordinates: 27°10"30.5"N 78°02"31.4"E

Content:

As soon as they did not call the famous Taj Mahal mausoleum! The famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote about the Taj Mahal that this monument is “a tear sparkling on the face of eternity”.

Taj Mahal from bird's eye view

In 1983, the mausoleum was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and recognized as the best example of Indo-Muslim architecture.

Taj Mahal - a legend of love, frozen in marble

Facts and legends are closely intertwined in the history of the white marble masterpiece, but most historians agree that the tomb was built in the 1630s. about the order of the Mughal emperor - Shah Jahan in memory of the untimely deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal. The lovers got married when the beautiful Mumtaz Mahal was 19 years old. Shah Jahan loved only her and did not notice other women. The emperor's wife became his closest adviser, participated in the conduct of state affairs and accompanied her husband in all military campaigns. The couple had 13 children, and during the birth of the 14th child, Mumtaz Mahal died. The emperor sat for a long time at the deathbed of his wife, tirelessly mourning her. Heartbroken, Shah Jahan turned gray, declared two years of mourning in the country and decided to build a mausoleum in Agra, the capital of the Mughal Empire, on the banks of the Jamna River, which has no equal on Earth, never was and never will be. Construction continued for 22 long years. More than 20,000 people took part in it, among them builders from all over the empire, masters from Venice, Persia, Central Asia and the Arab East. According to legend, the ruler was so impressed by the grandeur and perfection of the tomb that he ordered the hands of the chief architect, Ustad-Ise, to be cut off so that he could not repeat his masterpiece.

View of the Taj Mahal from the garden

Some scholars believe that the mausoleum was designed by Shah Jahan himself, who was passionate about architecture. He gave his creation a name consonant with the name of the deceased wife - Taj Mahal ("Crown of the Palace"). On the other side, the ruler was going to build the same mausoleum for himself, but from black marble, and to connect these two buildings was an openwork bridge made of gray marble, thrown across the river. But the plans of the emperor did not come true. Soon a fierce struggle for power unfolded, during which Aurangzeb, the son of Shah Jahan, overthrew his father from the throne and imprisoned him in the Red Fort for 9 years, after which the prisoner died and was buried next to his wife in the Taj Mahal.

Architecture of the Taj Mahal

Today, a white marble monument of great love, "the pearl of Indian architecture" is one of the most important sights of India. In 2007, the Taj Mahal entered the New Seven Wonders of the World list, compiled after a poll of more than 100 million votes. The majestic five-domed mausoleum with 4 minarets at the corners rises to a height of 74 meters on a white marble platform and, reflected in the motionless surfaces of an artificial reservoir, seems to hover above the earth like a fabulous mirage.

Taj Mahal from the opposite bank of the Jumna River

Its walls, made of polished marble, shine white on a bright sunny day, radiate a lilac-pink glow at sunset, and silvery on a moonlit night. This marble was brought for construction 300 km from Rajasthan. The walls are inlaid with precious stones and gems; black marble decor with quotes from the Koran. Malachite was brought from Russia, carnelian - from Baghdad, turquoise - from Tibet, sapphires and rubies - from Siam, lapis lazuli - from Ceylon, chrysolite - from the banks of the Nile. Symmetry is impeccably observed in the architecture of the ensemble. It is violated only by the tomb of Shah Jahan, which was built after his death, much later than the tombstone of Mumtuz-Mazal, located strictly in the middle of the mausoleum.

Symbols hidden in the layout of the mausoleum

The Taj Mahal has many symbols. So, for example, in the park framing the architectural ensemble, cypresses grow - the personification of sadness in Islam, and verses (revelations) from the Koran are carved on the entrance gate, addressed to believers and ending with the words "Enter My Paradise!". Thus, one can understand the intention of Shah Jahan - he built a paradise where his beloved will live. Modern researchers argue that, mad with grief, the emperor decided to get closer to divine knowledge by creating a paradise on Earth. Sometimes Shah Jahan said that he was building a throne for Allah himself.

Fragment of the facade of the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal endangered

At present, the creation of medieval architects is in decline. Cracks have appeared on the walls of the Taj Mahal, it is losing its radiant whiteness due to polluted air., and the minarets deviated from the vertical axis by 3 mm and may collapse in the future. The Jumna River becomes shallow, and this can lead to a change in the soil structure and subsidence of the foundation. And yet, despite all the threats of destruction, the magnificent Taj Mahal has existed for more than 350 years, attracting millions of visitors from all over the world with its romantic legend and architectural perfection.

27.174931 , 78.042097

Mausoleum Taj Mahal

Inside the mausoleum there are two tombs - the shah and his wife. In fact, their burial place is located below - strictly under the tombs, underground. The time of construction refers to approximately 1630-1652. The Taj Mahal is a five-domed structure 74 m high on a platform, with 4 minarets at the corners (they are slightly tilted away from the tomb so as not to damage it in case of destruction), which is adjacent to a garden with fountains and a pool.

The walls are made of polished translucent marble (which was brought to the construction site 300 km away) with inlaid gemstones. Turquoise, agate, malachite, carnelian, etc. were used. Marble has such a feature that in bright daylight it looks white, pink at dawn, and silvery on a moonlit night.

Architecture

The mausoleum has numerous symbols hidden in its architecture and layout. So, for example, on the gate through which visitors to the Taj Mahal enter the park complex surrounding the mausoleum, four final verses from the 89th sura of the Koran “Dawn” (Al-Fajr) are carved, addressed to the soul of the righteous:

“O thou soul at rest! Return to your Lord contented and satisfied! Enter with My servants. Enter My Paradise!"

On the left side of the tomb is a red sandstone mosque. On the right is a replica of the mosque. The whole complex has axial symmetry. The tomb has a central symmetry with respect to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. This symmetry is broken only by the tomb of Shah Jahan, which was built there after his death.

present tense

Recently, cracks have been discovered in the walls of the Taj Mahal. According to scientists, the appearance of cracks may be due to the shallowing of the Jumna River flowing nearby. The disappearance of the river will lead to a change in the structure of the soil and the subsidence of the mausoleum, and perhaps even to its destruction. It also began to lose its legendary whiteness due to polluted air. Despite the expanding park area around the Taj Mahal and the closure of a number of particularly dirty industries in Agra, the mausoleum is still turning yellow. It has to be cleaned regularly with a special white clay.

Tourism

Every day, the Taj Mahal is visited by tens of thousands of people, due to tourists, the "Indian pearl" brings a lot of money to the country's treasury. The Taj Mahal receives between 3 and 5 million visitors a year, more than 200,000 of them from abroad. Most tourists come during the cool months of the year - October, November and February. The movement of vehicles with internal combustion engines near the complex is prohibited, so tourists approach the parking lot on foot, or they can take an electric bus. The Havasspuras (northern courtyard) is currently being restored - to be used as a new visitor center. In a small town to the south, known as Taj Ganji or Mumtazabad, caravanserais, bazaars and markets were built to meet the needs of visitors and workers. The Taj Mahal also appears on several lists as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, including a 2007 list of the New Seven Wonders of the World (after polling more than 100 million votes).

For security reasons, only water in transparent bottles, small video cameras, cameras, mobile phones and small handbags can be brought inside the Taj Mahal complex.

The name Taj Mahal can be translated as "The Greatest Palace" (where taj is a crown and mahal is a 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 "The Chosen One of the Court" (where mumtaz is the best, mahal is a palace, courtyard). Similar meanings of words have been preserved in Arabic, Hindi and some other languages.

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

Humayun's tomb in Delhi is very similar to the Taj Mahal in terms of Mughal origin and appearance. This tomb of the Mughal emperor was also built as a sign of great love - only not a husband for his wife, but a wife for her husband. Despite the fact that Humayun's tomb was built earlier, and Jahan was guided by the architectural experience of Humayun's tomb in the construction of his masterpiece, it is little known compared to the Taj Mahal.

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 the environment.

Film appearance

• " Collision with the abyss" - The Taj Mahal is shown against the backdrop of a meteorite exploding in the sky.
• "Life after people" - The Taj Mahal is shown after 1000 years without people - earthquakes will overturn all the minarets, and then the mausoleum itself will collapse.
• "Mars attacks! » - aliens pose against the backdrop of an exploding mausoleum.
• " Last dance"- the main character of the film, condemned to death, dreams of visiting the Taj Mahal. In love with her, but unable to save her from the verdict, the lawyer visits the mazvoli after her execution.
• "Escape" - the main character helps the director of the prison build a model of the Taj Mahal
• "Fire" - a film, the first part of the trilogy of Deepa Mehta.
• "Slumdog Millionaire"- the protagonist of the film recalls how he and his brother made money from tourists on illegal excursions.

Gallery

see also

Notes

Links

• Photos and full history of the Taj Mahal on Toptravel.ru
• The history of the Mughal family and dynasty against the background of their creations (Taj Mahal, the tombs of Humayun, Babur, etc.), the Mughal influence on the art of India
• New 7 wonders of the world. Taj Mahal is the symbol of India. (History. Mumtaz. Description of the temple.)

UNESCO World Heritage in India

Categories:

• World Heritage in alphabetical order
• World Heritage in India
• Uttar Pradesh
• Temples and mausoleums of Islam
• mausoleums
• Appeared in 1654
• Monuments of India
• Architecture of the Mughal Empire
• Islamic architecture
• Architecture of India
• Uttar Pradesh Tourism

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Synonyms:

See what the "Taj Mahal" is in other dictionaries:

A well-known monument of Indian architecture of the Mughal period, built on the banks of the river. Jumna, near Agra. Built around 1630 52 (architects, probably Ustad Isa and others) as the mausoleum of the wife of Shah Jahan, which later was ... ... Art Encyclopedia