The Taj Mahal Mausoleum is a masterpiece of Indian architecture. India in stone: the great Taj Mahal! Where is the tach mahal country

Taj Mahal (India) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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The Taj Mahal is a white marble palace, one of the most grandiose monuments of Indian architecture with luxurious interior decoration and a stunningly beautiful park. It is the last gift from Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to his late wife Mumtaz Mahal, and is the country's main and most popular attraction, visited by thousands of tourists every year.

The Legend of the Taj Mahal

An ancient and very beautiful romantic legend is associated with the Taj Mahal. The Indian Shah Jahan was fascinated by the beauty of a poor girl who was selling at a local market and married her. Soon she became his beloved wife and lived with the Shah for 17 happy years. However, the happiness was not destined to last forever, and Mumtaz Mahal died during the birth of their fourteenth child. Jahan could not forget her and was never happy again.

In memory of his beloved wife and the years of their marital happiness, the Indian ruler ordered the construction of the most beautiful mausoleum in the world, the most beautiful of which is not in the whole world. The best architects and craftsmen of India and Europe were involved in the work - about 20 thousand people in total. Construction lasted for 20 long years, and a luxurious structure was built on the coast of the Jumna River, which still delights everyone who sees it.

Despite numerous earthquakes in these parts, it was never destroyed and was not damaged at all.

Park, architecture, interiors

The mausoleum building creates a unique architectural ensemble in combination with the park that is laid out around it. The entire structure is made of snow-white marble, the square facade is pierced by semicircular niches, and thanks to this it looks as if weightless, despite its massiveness. The impression of “floating” is also created by the reflections of the facades in the canals of the gardens that surround the mausoleum. And the most amazing feature of this building is the ability to change its color depending on the time of day and the weather. In the rain it looks translucent, in the morning it glows pink, and at sunset it shimmers gold. The internal walls of the mausoleum are decorated with painted tiles and inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones and pearls.

Previously, the luxury of the Taj Mahal was even more impressive: the entrance doors were made of pure silver, but like many other valuable interior items, they were stolen. However, the Taj Mahal still impresses with its luxury and rich decoration.

Practical information

How to get there: The Taj Mahal is located in the city of Agra (200 km from Delhi). You can get there by any train that goes to Kolkata, Mumbai and Gwalior (all of them go through Agra), the travel time is 2-3 hours. From Agra to the mausoleum - by rickshaw or taxi.

Opening hours: the mausoleum is open daily, except Friday, during daylight hours.

Entrance: for foreigners - 1100 INR. Prices on the page are as of November 2019.

Taj Mahal built on the banks of the Jamna River, two kilometers from the city of Agra, which from 1526 to 1707 (along with Delhi) was the capital of the Mughal Empire. This mausoleum monument tells the story of the tender love of a ruler from the Mughal dynasty for his wife, the beautiful Mumtaz Mahal (nee Arjumanad Banu Begam), the niece of a strong and influential courtier at the court of the Indian ruler.

The name Arjumanad Banu Begam is surrounded by legends and secrets. In 1612, at the age of nineteen, she married Prince Khurram, who later became Padishah Shah Jahan. During the wedding ceremony, the groom's father, the formidable Jangir, named his daughter-in-law and his wife's niece "The Decoration of the Palace" (Mumtaz Mahal).

The young couple loved each other dearly. The French doctor, philosopher and traveler Francois Bernier, who lived in India for twelve years, noted in his notes that Shah Jahan was so in love with his young wife that he “did not pay attention to other women while she was alive.” But he, like any eastern ruler, had a harem - and a large one.

In 1629, a year after ascending the throne, Shah Jahan and his army left Agra and headed south to punish the governor of the rebellious Deccan. The uprising was suppressed, the governor was removed, but Shah Jahan returned to Agra alone. Mumtaz Mahal, who was never separated from her husband, died in his arms during this campaign, giving birth to his fourteenth child. His grief was so great that he wanted to commit suicide.

Mumtaz was first buried in the city of Burhanpur (the territory of the present state of Madhya Pradesh), since Shah Jahan's army had set up camp there. And only six months later the coffin with her body was transported to Agra, where a mausoleum was subsequently erected over her grave, which (according to Shah Jahan’s plan) was supposed to become a symbol of the beauty of his deceased wife.

The construction of the five-domed mausoleum building, surpassing in size and luxury all others that were then in India, lasted more than twenty years (from approximately 1630 to 1652). The height of the Taj Mahal together with the dome reaches 74 meters. At the base of the monument lies a square platform with sides measuring more than 95 meters. Four minarets rise at the corners of the mausoleum.

The walls of the Taj Mahal are lined with polished marble, and in some places the outside is complemented with red sandstone. The windows and arches have openwork grilles, the vaulted passages are decorated with Arabic script, which transferred 14 of the 114 suras of the Koran onto stone.

Up to 20,000 people took part in the construction of this grandiose structure. The name of the architect who embodied Shah Jahan's plan is unknown. Some attribute the creation of this monument of world art to European architects. However, a study of the architectural features of the Taj Mahal allows us to conclude that it embodied the best features of the medieval architecture of Iran and Central Asia, along with the monumental art of ancient India.

But other scientists name different but very specific individuals as the author of this masterpiece. However, the most widely held belief is that the best architects of India and other Eastern countries, led by the Agricultural architect Ustad-Isa, took part in the development of the Taj Mahal project. It is possible that one of the authors was Shah Jahan himself, who had extraordinary artistic taste.

Around the Taj Mahal in Agra, Shah Jahan planted a magnificent garden, built on the Char Bagh principle: on a piece of land divided into four parts. In the center there is a marble pond. Unlike other structures, which are usually placed in the center of the garden, the Taj Mahal is located at the beginning. Cypress trees are planted along the irrigation canal with fountains, the outlines of their crowns are in harmony with the domes of the four minarets.

Opposite the Taj Mahal, on the other side of the Jumna, Shah Jahan thought of building another tomb - for himself. According to the plan, his mausoleum was supposed to reproduce the forms of the Taj Mahal, but would be made not of white, but of black marble. Both mausoleums were supposed to be connected by a bridge. However, Shah Jahan's plans and plans did not come true.

When Shah Jahan fell seriously ill, the question arose which of his sons would take his throne. The eldest son, Dara-shikol, was like-minded with his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He wanted unity of the country, peace with the Hindus, alliance with the Rajput and Maratha Rajas. Muslim mullahs and nobles stood behind their second son, Aurangzeb, a cruel and gloomy Muslim fanatic.

Aurangzeb defeated his brother and entered Agra with troops. Here he learned that his father had recovered safely and was not going to vacate the throne. But power, once in hand, is not easy to give up voluntarily. How long will father live? And Aurangzeb ordered his father to be arrested and imprisoned in a fortress. From the heavy stone frame of the window, only the light, cloud-white mausoleum of his long-dead wife was visible.

Seriously ill, removed from power, Shah Jahan spent hours looking from the Agra fortress at the Taj Mahal, where Mumtaz Mahal, whom he loved so much, rested. And after his death, he was buried in the same tomb, in the same crypt with Mumtaz Mahal. Now, directly above the crypt, in the central hall, decorated with ornaments of gold and silver, there are two stone slabs: one over the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, the other over the tomb of Shah Jahan.

There are many legends about the Taj Mahal. And many young men, suffering from unrequited love, climbed the minarets and threw themselves down with the belief that in the next world they would achieve the favor of their beloved. Then the entrances to the minarets were closed to cool off the lovers sacrificing their lives in the hope of finding love.

The Taj Mahal in Agra has become one of the most famous monuments of world architecture and included in. Marble walls, agates and diamonds interspersed in the curls of the ornament, the skyward dome of the tomb, reflected in the waters of the Jumna during the day and shimmering at night in the light of the moon - this is the Taj Mahal, sung by hundreds of poets.

A beautiful story about the history of the creation of the Taj Mahal
http://migranov.ru/agrastory.php

For 22 years (1630-1652), more than twenty thousand people, including the best architects and architects of India, Persia, Turkey, Venice and Samarkand, built this airy-lace marble monument to the love of the Muslim Mughal king Shah Jahan ("ruler of the world") to to his wife Arjumand Bano Begum, who received the name Mumtaz Mahal during the coronation, which means “chosen one of the court.”

They got married when she was 19 years old. He loved only young Mumtaz and did not notice other women. She gave birth to 14 children to her ruler and died giving birth to the last child.

For a long time, the Taj Mahal was the tallest building in India; its height, together with the main dome, is 74 meters.

And yet, this miracle has existed for 355 years.

The Taj Mahal Mausoleum is located in the city of Agra, Uttar Pradesh. This most famous building in India and the symbol of the country is an amazing and also the most durable monument of Indian Muslim architecture from the Mughal era. Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore called the Taj Mahal "a tear on the cheek of eternity."

In 1983, the Taj Mahal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In addition, the mausoleum is included in the international list of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Every year this beautiful architectural ensemble is visited by several million tourists.

Creation story - love story

The Taj Mahal, often called the “symbol of love,” was built in the 17th century on the banks of the Yamuna River by Emperor Shah Jahan, a descendant of Tamerlane, to celebrate and perpetuate the memory of his beloved wife, who died in childbirth.

Shah Jahan, who was the fifth Mughal Emperor, left behind many famous architectural landmarks. These are the Pearl Mosque in Agra, the capital Shahjahanabad (now old Delhi, including the Lal Qila or Red Fort in Delhi with the beautiful halls of the Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas halls, as well as the Great Mosque of Jama Masjid) and the famous golden throne of the Mughals — The Peacock Throne, rightfully recognized as the most luxurious throne in the whole world.

However, the splendor of the Taj Mahal Palace remained unsurpassed, and it was this building that forever immortalized the names of the emperor and his beloved.

Shah Jahan, who was called the “Emperor of the Universe” after a series of successful military campaigns that expanded the borders of the Mughal Empire, had several wives. His third wife, a 19-year-old beauty, was given the name Mumtaz Mahal by his father-in-law during the wedding ceremony, which means “Pearl of the Palace.”

The ruler fell in love with Mumtaz very much and she accompanied him on all military campaigns. The emperor's relations with the rest of his wives were purely formal, but with Mumtaz he was united by deep, sincere affection. Over 19 years of marriage, the beloved gave the ruler 14 children. However, the last birth that took place during the campaign became fatal for the woman.

It is said that Shah Jahan promised his dying wife that he would build a beautiful mausoleum for her. However, he did not immediately begin to implement his plan. The first year after the death of his beloved, the emperor grieved and spent all his time in solitude.

When the inconsolable widower ended his seclusion, his subjects did not recognize him - the ruler grew old, gray and hunched over. The palace chroniclers testified that Shah Jahan stopped listening to music and abandoned jewelry and elegant clothes.

Automobile

The city of Agra is located in the so-called Golden Tourist Triangle; this region is distinguished by an extensive network of roads. Agra connects to Delhi and Varanasi highway NH-2, with Jaipur - NH-11, and with Gwalior - NH-3.

Distances from Agra to other cities:

• Bharatpur - 57 km;
• Delhi - 204 km;
• Gwalior - 119 km;
• Jaipur - 232 km;
• Kanpur - 296 km;
• Khajuraho - 400 km;
• Lucknow - 369 km;
• Mathura - 56 km;
• Varanasi - 605 km.

Parking

The closest parking to the Taj Mahal is at the Shilpgram Cultural and Art Complex.

From Agra to the Taj Mahal

You can get around Agra by Taxi(Uber, Ola), excursion mini-bus “tempo”, auto or pedicabs. You can order a prepaid taxi from the Agra Cantonment main station.

Vehicles with internal combustion engines are prohibited within 500 m from the Taj Mahal, so as not to spoil the whiteness of the palace walls. Therefore, you can drive up to the mausoleum by electric car or rickshaw, but the last 200 meters must be covered only on foot.

Taj Mahal: Google Panorama

Taj Mahal: Google panorama inside the building

Video about the Taj Mahal / National Geographic

Taj Mahal Mausoleum

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 construction time dates back 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 swimming pool.

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

Architecture

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

“O you, resting soul! Return to your Lord satisfied and having achieved contentment! Come in with My servants. Enter My Paradise!

On the left side of the tomb there is a mosque made of red sandstone. On the right is an exact copy of the mosque. The entire complex has axial symmetry. The tomb has central symmetry relative to the Mumtaz Mahal tomb. This symmetry is broken only by the tomb of Shah Jahan, which was built there after his death.

Present tense

Recently, cracks were discovered in the walls of the Taj Mahal. According to scientists, the appearance of cracks may be due to the shallowing of the nearby Dzhamna River. The disappearance of the river will lead to a change in the soil structure and 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 parkland 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 using special white clay.

Tourism

Tens of thousands of people visit the Taj Mahal every day; at the expense of tourists, the “Indian pearl” brings a lot of money to the country’s treasury. During the year, the Taj Mahal receives from 3 to 5 million visitors, of which more than 200,000 are from abroad. Most tourists come during the cooler 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 can take an electric bus. The Hawasspuras (north courtyard) has now been restored for use as a new visitor centre. In a small town to the south, known as Taj Ganji or Mumtazabad, caravanserais, bazaars and markets were built to cater to 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 the 2007 list of the New Seven Wonders of the World (after polling more than 100 million votes).

For security reasons, only water in clear bottles, small video cameras, cameras, mobile phones and small handbags are allowed inside the Taj Mahal complex.

The name Taj Mahal can be translated as “The Greatest Palace” (where Taj is the crown and mahal is the 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 “Chosen One of the Court” (where Mumtaz is the best, mahal is palace, courtyard). Similar meanings of words are preserved in Arabic, Hindi and some other languages.

Many tourist guides say that after his overthrow, Shah Jahan sadly admired his creation, the Taj Mahal, from the windows of his prison for many years before his death. 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 Great Mughals, but earlier, and which is really located next to the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan, according to Indian researchers, was kept in Delhi's Red Fort and could not see the Taj Mahal from there.

Very similar to the Taj Mahal both in Mughal origin and in appearance is the tomb of Humayun in Delhi. This tomb of the Mughal emperor was also built as a sign of great love - not just a husband for his wife, but a wife for her husband. Despite the fact that Humayun's tomb was built earlier, and Jahan, when constructing his masterpiece, was guided by the architectural experience of Humayun's tomb, it is little known in comparison with 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 environment.

Film appearance

• "Deep Impact" - The Taj Mahal is shown with 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.
• “The Last Dance” - the main character of the film, sentenced to death, dreams of visiting the Taj Mahal. The lawyer, in love with her, but unable to save her from the sentence, visits the mazvol after her execution.
• "Escape" - the main character helps the prison director build a model of the Taj Mahal
• “Fire” is a film, the first part of a trilogy by Deepa Mehta.
• “Slumdog Millionaire” - the main character of the film remembers 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
• History of the Mughal family and dynasty against the background of their creations (Taj Mahal, tombs of Humayun, Babur, etc.), Mughal influence on the art of India
• New 7 wonders of the world. Taj Mahal is a symbol of India. (History. Mumtaz. Description of the temple.)

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
• Tourism in Uttar Pradesh

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See what "Taj Mahal" is in other dictionaries:

A widely known monument of Indian architecture of the Mughal period, built on the banks of the river. Jamna, near Agra. Built around 1630 52 (architects probably Ustad Isa and others) as the mausoleum of Shah Jahan’s wife, which later housed... ... Art encyclopedia