Travel to India: Taj Mahal
August 11, 2008 – 12:37 pm
The Greatest Monument of Love: Taj Mahal
Imagine a love between husband and wife so great that after the sad death of his wife while giving birth to a child, husband builds the greatest monument of love, it is Taj Mahal.
Taj Mahal is located in Agra, India, and the construction of it ended in 1648. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built it for his lovely wife Mumtaz Mahal. While Shah Jahan was away for a war, his wife who was pregnant for nine months was with him. She died while she was giving birth the 14th child of them, and Shah mourned for two years, he did not deal with kingdom, architecture and art became more important for him. After six months of this tragic death, Taj Mahal was begun to be built and Taj Mahal was built for the memory of Mumtaz Mahal, lovely wife of Shah.
The mausoleum Taj Mahal depicts Mughal architecture, however combination of many architectural elements can be found, Mughal, Indian, Persian and Turkish architecture.
Recently, Taj Mahal’s value has been understood by the entire world. First of all, it became UNESCO World Heritage Site and in 2007, it was selected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Architectural Features of Taj Mahal
The sight of Taj Mahal is charming; especially during sunset the building creates mysterious scenes. The tomb is the main part of mausoleum, it is totally marble. The marble dome which is higher than the tomb, it creates a special sight. Four minarets surround the building; they are masterpieces with their symmetry.
Decoration is one of the features what makes Taj Mahal so charming and beautiful. Calligraphy works are found on the exterior walls of Taj Mahal, and in addition to these, there are passages on the walls. These passages are extracts from Quran, and different suras were used. Paintings can be found on the walls, they enrich the decoration of the mausoleum. Flower and vine images are widely used. Inside Taj Mahal, decoration is more detailed, walls, chambers, dome, everywhere is decorated with stones, carvings, paintings.
Taj Mahal has a nice garden, nearly in every photograph; you can see the pool before the mausoleum. It is a rich garden with different flowers and trees. Rest of the garden is covered with lawn.
Visiting Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal is a tourism center attracting people from all over the world. Millions of people visit the mausoleum, but there are rules leading the tour. For instance visitors have to go on foot, car, bicycle is not allowed. Everything is organized for the harmony of Taj Mahal. If you want to visit inside of the building, there is a strict security wall. Only some items are allowed in, such as water, purse and camera.
Security is important, since 2006, Taj Mahal has been opened to visitors at night; night viewing is much more interesting. It is interesting but debates about the security go on. At last, Indian Supreme Court released the decision that it can be visited at night.
Entry fees differ according to your nationality and your age. There are discount for children and for native people.