Taj Mahal

 The Taj Mahal is one of the most stunning buildings on earth. It was built by the Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan (reigned 1627-58) as a tomb for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. No expense was spared, and the builders had an eye for the smallest details--for instance, the four ornamental minarets surrounding the building all lean slightly outward, so that in an earthquake they would fall away from the building.  This is the view from the main gate, which was built to perfectly frame this stunning view. This picture was taken in Jan. 2001 (in the years before, this gate was used for the exit, which completely ruined the effect--kudos to U.P. Tourism for setting this right).   UP Tourism has also upped the entrance fee to $15, which borders on extortion, but for one time it is still worth the price. 

 

Aside from the romantic story, one of the really wonderful things about the Taj is the way the building takes on different qualities in differing lights.  This picture was taken on  a foggy morning in January 1999.

 

The picture here was taken on a sunny morning in January 2003.  The same differing qualities in its appearance can be discovered by seeing the Taj at different times of the day.  

 

The Taj is impressive at any level, and the quality of the workmanship in the building itself is absolutely breathtaking.  This photo (taken in Jan. 2003) shows the carved screens, pietra dura inlay work, and inscriptions (from the Qur`an) that frame one of the building's doorways.

 

Here's a detail of marble carving (the slab in the middle is over three feet long, and each of the carved flowers is 18" tall) combined with pietra dura inlay (in which chips of semiprecious stones which have been painstakingly inlaid in the marble).  This piece is one of the two slabs flanking the doorway in the picture above (but was taken in January 2001, when the light was a little different, and hence the colors show up a little more richly. 


 

This shows the main gateway.  You can see more of the inlay work around the top, along with a band of inscriptions (quotations from the Qur`an) running all around the entrance (one finds the same thing in the Taj itself). The letters get bigger as they get higher up, so that the whole thing remains easy to read). This photo was taken in January 2001.

 

The two sides of the Taj have identical sandstone and marble buildings.  The one on the left is a mosque, since this faces the correct direction toward Mecca.  The one on the right is called a "guest house," but is there simply to maintain the Taj's incredible  symmetry. 

 

 Every mosque has certain basic features, which can be seen in this photo.  One is a mihrab (niche in the wall of the mosque, here visible under the center arch) that indicates the qibla or direction toward Mecca (the direction toward which Muslims must face when they are performing salat, the mandatory 5x daily worship.  Since before performing salat Muslims are required to perform a ritual cleansing, another common feature is a pool of water, here seen in the foreground. 

 

Click here for a web link to the Taj.

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Last modified 16 March 2001