In summary: the Taj is an ivory-white marble Islamic mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna River in the Indian city of Agra and is, without a doubt, the best example of Mughal architecture. This was validated when the Taj Mahal was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2014, right up there with Rome's Colosseum and The Great Wall of China.
The story goes that Emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 wanted to build a tomb for his favorite wife who died giving birth to their 14th child. In this effort, the Shah decided to spend over 1 billion dollars (equivalent to today's Canadian dollar currency) for the construction that took over 20,000 workers over 20 years to build. Now that's love.
It is fascinating that this building is perfect in symmetry -- you can look at the structure from any side and see exactly the same facade. As a result of this square building, the inside space is a lot smaller than one would imagine but it is enough for a couple of white marble tombs situated on heavy bases for the Shah and his wife.
The most spectacular feature is the marble dome that crowns the top of this structure. The dome is nearly 35 meters (or 115 feet) high and because of its shape is often called an Onion Dome. The top is decorated with a lotus design which also serves to accentuate its height.
Our guide pointed out the finial, or gilded element that sits at the highest point of the dome. The design is mixed with traditional Persian and Hindustani decorative elements and is slightly more than 9 meters (or 30 feet) in length. To provide perspective for visitors, the exact finial that sits on top of the dome is outlined on the patio below.
Compare this to the four minarets, or tall slender towers, that stand at each corner of the Taj Mahal central building some 40 meters (or 130 feet) in height. Designers tilted these minarets slightly outward -- away from the building -- so they would not fall on the tomb if they collapsed in an earthquake.
It is obvious the Taj Mahal was designed and built with the finest of methods and materials. Every design element had a purpose and materials were selected to accentuate the overall effect. Visitors should take notice of details such as calligraphy etched on walls, plant motifs, geometric patterned designs and the like, to realize this is not just another building!
Designers also took time to make sure the visual effects would enhance the structure without actually having to spend money in construction. For example, notice the flat tiled surface on the left face of this column... the same flat surface and design makes it appear as indented when looking at it face-on, as seen on the right side of the column. Tricky, huh?
All in all, it was an amazing day that certainly did not disappoint. One less item on the Bucket List =)
