Taj Mahal

One of the most striking structures over history is the Taj Mahal. It is considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This building was built in the city of Agra, in India. This magnificent monument was built during the Mughals’ reign, the Muslim rulers of India. It was built by the Muslim emperor Shah Jahan, who died in 1666 C. E. The purpose of building this monument was to commemorate the memory of Mumtaz Mahal, who was the queen and his beloved wife. The grave of the emperor himself was also added to the building after his death. The construction of this wonder took twenty years to be completed. The architect who was in charge of building this miraculous monument was Ustad ‘Isa, who was a very well known architect at that time. Approximately twenty thousand workers were employed in the operation of building and it was completed in 1648 C. E. A large number of craftsmen from many countries around the world also took part in carrying out the drawings and the very attractive paintings on the walls of the building.  The building is made of very expensive material so that the total cost of the building reached 32 million Rupees.This beyond description structure still exists nowadays. It attracts a lot of visitors from India as well as from a lot of countries all over the world.

 Submission two:The materials used for building the Taj Mahal were very expensive and rare. Three types of stones were used. The first type was semi-precious stones such as Yemeni, Aqiiq, Firoza, Sulimani and Yashib which were used for the inlaying work. The second type was rare and scarce stones such as Tilai, Zahra, Mohra and many others. These rare and scarce stones were used for bold inlay and mosaic work chiefly on floors, exterior dados and turrets. The third type was common stones that were used for building foundations, masonry and the final touch and decorations for the external surfaces. These materials were not in Agra, but they were brought from other places. For example, red stone was brought to the site from neighboring towns. White marble was also brought from mines in Makrana. Rare and semi-precious stones were also brought from far places. In addition to the different types of stone, different types of bricks, sweet limestone and tiles were also used in the construction of the Taj Mahal. Glass and red clay were also used. The centre and the masonry of the building were built of very extra strong stone. Moreover, country ingredients such as molasses were mixed with mortar to make it a strong material for cementing stones and bricks.

 Submission 3:

 

This topic is very important because it shows the history and the magnificent architecture of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This architectural miracle stills exists till nowadays and it is a real symbol of loyalty of a husband who built this structure to commemorate the death of his wife. Its genius planning, the location of the tomb and the garden add depth to the distant view of the monument. The four minarets are also an attractive feature of the great architecture. The monument had undergone some repairs and maintenance by the British, but they could not stick to the original qualities of the building. There will be some maintenance in the future, but this will be done according to certain guidelines. The Monument is so popular worldwide and it attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world. It attracts from 2 to 4 million every year. About 200,000 overseas visitors come to the monument every year.

References:-

Building Materials Used for the Construction of Taj Mahal Agra India. (n.d.). Agra India - Agra Tourism - Agra City - Travel to Agra - Travel Agra - Tourism in Agra. Retrieved April 23, 2013, from http://www.agraindia.org.uk/taj-mahal/architecture/building-materials-used.html

Taj Mahal - UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (n.d.). UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/252

• Taj Mahal Information - Taj Mahal Info - Information on Taj Mahal - Taj Mahal India Information. (n.d.). Agra India - Agra Tourism - Agra City - Travel to Agra - Travel Agra - Tourism in Agra. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from http://www.agraindia.org.uk/taj-mahal/taj-mahal-information.html

Treasures of the World | Taj Mahal. (n.d.). PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav

About Taj Mahal,Information on Taj Mahal,Taj Mahal Biography,Taj Mahal Information Agra India,Aboutr Wonders of the World Taj Mahal. (n.d.). Delhi Agra Jaipur Tour, Tours to Agra, Delhi to Jaipur Tours, Tour Agra Jaipur, Delhi Agra Tours. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from http://www.delhiagrajaipur.net/about-tajmahal.html

Welcome To Official WebSite of Taj Mahal-U.P.Tourism. (n.d.). Welcome To Official WebSite of Taj Mahal-U.P.Tourism. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from http://tajmahal.gov.in/shah_jahan.html