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Mausoleum of the Taj Mahal complex at Agra, India The ' ' represents the finest and most sophisticated example of. Its origins lie in the moving circumstances of its commission and the culture and history of an Islamic 's rule of large parts of India.
The distraught commissioned the upon the death one of his favorite wife. Today it is one of the most famous and recognizable buildings in the world and while the large, is the most familiar part of the monument, the is an extensive complex of buildings and gardens that extends over 22.44 hectares (55.5 acres) and includes subsidiary tombs, waterworks infrastructure, the small town of 'Taj Ganji' to the south and a 'moonlight garden' to the north of the river. Began in 1632 AD, (1041 ), on the south bank of the River in, and was substantially complete by 1648 AD (1058 AH).
The design was conceived as an earthly replica of the house of in paradise. Contents.
Mumtaz and Shah Jahan In 1607 ( 1025) the Mughal Prince Khurrum (later to become ) was betrothed to, the grand daughter of a noble. She would become the unquestioned love of his life. They were married five years later in 1612. After their wedding celebrations, Khurram 'finding her in appearance and character elect among all the women of the time,' gave her the title (Jewel of the Palace). The intervening years had seen Khurrum take two other wives known as Akbarabadi Mahal and Kandahari Mahal, but according to the official court chronicler Qazwini, the relationship with his other wives 'had little more than the status of marriage. The intimacy, deep affection, attention and favour which His Majesty had for the Cradle of Excellence Mumtaz lacked by a thousand times what he felt for any other.'
The epitome of chaste Muslim love -, going mad in the wilderness Mumtaz died in on 17 June 1631, after complications with the birth of their fourteenth child, a daughter named. She had been accompanying her husband whilst he was fighting a campaign in the. Her body was temporarily buried in a garden called Zainabad on the banks of the in.
The contemporary court chroniclers paid an unusual amount of attention to this event and Shah Jahan's grief at her demise. Immediately after hearing the news the emperor was reportedly inconsolable. He was not seen for a week at court and considered abdicating and living his life as a religious recluse. The court historian Muhammad Amin Qazwini, wrote that before his wife's death the emperor's beard had 'not more than ten or twelve grey hairs, which he used to pluck out', turned grey and eventually white' and that he soon needed spectacles because his eyes deteriorated from constant weeping. Since Mumtaz had died on Wednesday, all entertainments were banned on that day. Jahan gave up listening to music, wearing jewelry, sumptuous clothes or perfumes for two years.
So concerned were the imperial family that an honorary uncle wrote to say that 'if he continued to abandon himself to his mourning, Mumtaz might think of giving up the joys of Paradise to come back to earth, this place of misery — and he should also consider the children she had left to his care.' The Austrian scholar compares Shah Jahan to ', the ultimate lover of Muslim lore, who flees into the desert to pine for his unattainable Layla.' Jahan's eldest daughter, the devoted, gradually brought him out of grief and fulfilled the functions of Mumtaz at court. Immediately after the burial in Burhanpur, Jahan and the imperial court turned their attentions to the planning and design of the mausoleum and funerary garden in Agra. Site 16th–17th century Agra The first lovely architecty was created in 1526 in Agra by, the founder of the dynasty. Thereafter, gardens became important Mughal symbols of power, supplanting the emphasis of pre-Mughal power symbols such as forts.
The shift represented the introduction of a new ordered aesthetic — an artistic expression with religious and funerary aspects and as a metaphor for Babur's ability to control the arid Indian plains and hence the country at large. Babur rejected much of the indigenous and architecture on the opposite bank and attempted to create new works inspired by and royal encampments.
The first of these gardens, was followed by an extensive, regular and integrated complex of gardens and palaces stretching for more than a kilometre along the river. A high continuous stone plinth bounded the transition between gardens and river and established the framework for future development in the city.
In the following century, a thriving riverfront garden city developed on both banks of the Yamuna. This included the rebuilding of by, which was completed in 1573. By the time Jahan ascended to the throne, Agra's population had grown to approximately 700,000 and was, as Abdul Aziz wrote, 'a wonder of the age — as much a centre of the arteries of trade both by land and water as a meeting-place of saints, sages and scholars from all Asia.a veritable lodestar for artistic workmanship, literary talent and spiritual worth'. Became a city centered on its waterfront and developed partly eastwards but mostly westwards from the rich estates that lined the banks. The prime sites remained those that had access to the river and the Taj Mahal was built in this context, but uniquely; as a related complex on both banks of the river. Interactive plan Click image to navigate. The Taj Mahal complex can be conveniently divided into 5 sections: 1.
The 'moonlight garden' to the north of the river Yamuna. The riverfront terrace, containing the Mausoleum, Mosque and Jawab. The Charbagh garden containing pavilions. The jilaukhana containing accommodation for the tomb attendants and two subsidiary tombs. The Taj Ganji, originally a bazaar and caravanserai only traces of which are still preserved. The great gate lies between the jilaukhana and the garden. Levels gradually descend in steps from the Taj Ganji towards the river.
Contemporary descriptions of the complex list the elements in order from the river terrace towards the Taj Ganji. Precedents Mughal tombs. The simple in Kabul, Afghanistan, open to the sky. The erection of Mughal tombs to honour the dead was the subject of a theological debate conducted in part, through built architecture over several centuries.
For the majority of Muslims, the spiritual power of visiting the resting places of those venerated in Islam, was a force by which greater personal sanctity could be achieved. However, orthodox Islam found tombs problematic because a number of forbade their construction.
As a culture also attempting to accommodate, assimilate and subjugate the majority Hindu populace, opposition also came from local traditions which believed dead bodies and the structures over them were impure. For many Muslims at the time of the Taj's construction, tombs could be considered legitimate providing they did not strive for pomp and were seen as a means to provide a reflection of paradise here on earth. The ebb and flow of this debate can be seen in the Mughul's dynastic mausoleums stretching back to that of their ancestor. Built in 1403 AD (810 AH) Timur is buried in the in Samarkand, under a fluted dome. The tomb employs a traditional Persian as an entrance. The 1528 AD (935 AH) in Kabul is much more modest in comparison, with a simple cenotaph exposed to the sky, laid out in the centre of a walled garden.
Surmounted by a dome commissioned in 1562 AD, was one of the most direct influences on the Taj Mahal's design and was a response to the Gur-e Amir, borrowing a central dome, geometric symmetrical planning and entrances, but incorporating the more specifically Indian Mughal devices of, red sandstone face work, and a '. C.1600 at, retains many of the elements of Humayan's tomb but possesses no dome and reverts to a cenotaph open to the sky. A theme which was carried forward in the also at Agra, built between 1622 and 1628, commissioned by his daughter. The at Shahdara , begun in 1628 AD (1037 AH), only 4 years before the construction of the Taj and again without a dome, takes the form of a simple plinth with a minaret at each corner.
The large charbagh (a form of Persian garden divided into four parts) provides the foreground for the classic view of the Taj Mahal, UNESCO World Heritage Site The concept of the was brought from Persia by the Mughals as a form of. They were the first architectural expression the new empire made in the Indian sub-continent, and fulfilled diverse functions with strong symbolic meanings. The symbolism of these gardens is derived from Islamic texts describing paradise as a garden filled with abundant trees, flowers and plants, with water playing a key role: In Paradise four source at a central spring or mountain. In their ideal form they were laid out as a square subdivided into four equal parts. These rivers are often represented in the charbagh as shallow canals which separate the garden by flowing towards the.
The canals represent the promise of water, milk, wine and honey. The centre of the garden, at the intersection of the divisions is highly symbolically charged and is where, in the ideal form, a pavilion, pool or tomb would be situated. The tombs of, and, the previous Mughal emperors, follow this pattern.
The cross axial garden also finds independent precedents within South Asia dating from the 5th century where the royal gardens of in Sri Lanka were laid out in a similar way. For the tomb of Jahan's late wife though, where the mausoleum is sited at the edge of the garden, there is a debate amongst scholars regarding why the traditional charbagh form has not been used. Ebba Koch suggests a variant of the charbagh was employed; that of the more secular waterfront garden found in Agra, adapted for a religious purpose.
Such gardens were developed by the Mughuls for the specific conditions of the Indian plains where slow flowing rivers provide the water source, the water is raised from the river by animal-driven devices known as purs and stored in cisterns. A linear terrace is set close to the riverbank with low-level rooms set below the main building opening on to the river. Both ends of the terrace were emphasised with towers. This form was brought to Agra by and by the time of Shah Jahan, gardens of this type, as well as the more traditional charbagh, lined both sides of the Jumna river. The riverside terrace was designed to enhance the views of Agra for the imperial elite who would travel in and around the city by river.
Other scholars suggest another explanation for the eccentric siting of the mausoleum. If the Midnight Garden to the north of the river Jumna is considered an integral part of the complex, then the mausoleum can be interpreted as being in the centre of a garden divided by a real river and thus can be considered more in the tradition of the pure charbagh. Mausolea. With minarets The favoured form of both Mughal garden pavilions and mausolea (seen as a funerary form of pavilion) was the which translates from Persian as 'eight paradises'.
These were a square or rectangular planned buildings with a central domed chamber surrounded by eight elements. Later developments of the hasht bihisht divided the square at 45 degree angles to create a more radial plan which often also includes chamfered corners; examples of which can be found in Todar Mal's Baradari at. Each element of the plan is reflected in the elevations with and with the corner rooms expressed through smaller arched niches. Often such structures are topped with (small pillared pavilions) at each corner. The eight divisions and frequent octagonal forms of such structures represent the eight levels of paradise for Muslims. The paradigm however was not confined solely to Islamic antecedents.
The Chinese was employed for numerous purposes including and also finds a Muslim expression in the of their mathematicians. Ninefold schemes find particular resonance in the Indian, the cosmic maps of Hinduism and Buddhism. In addition to Humayun's tomb, the more closely contemporary marked a new era of Mughal architecture. It was built by the empress for her father from 1622–1625 AD (1031–1034 AH) and is small in comparison to many other Mughal-era tombs. So exquisite is the execution of its surface treatments, it is often described as a jewel box. The garden layout, hierarchical use of white marble and sandstone, inlay designs and presage many elements of the Taj Mahal. The cenotaph of Nur Jehan's father is laid, off centre, to the west of her mother.
This break in symmetry was repeated in the Taj where Mumtaz was interred in the geometric centre of the complex and Jahan is laid to her side. These close similarities with the tomb of Mumtaz have earned it the sobriquet - The Baby Taj. Minarets Minarets did not become a common feature of Mughal architecture until the 17th century, particularly under the patronage of Shah Jahan. A few precedents exist in the 20 years before the construction of the Taj in the and the. Their increasing use was influenced by developments elsewhere in the Islamic world, particularly in and and is seen as suggestive of an increasing religious orthodoxy of the Mughal dynasty. Concepts, symbolism and interpretations.
The mausoleum at sunset. Light as a Mughal metaphor for God Under the reign of Shah Jahan, the symbolic content of Mughal architecture reached a peak. The Taj Mahal complex was conceived as a replica on earth of the house of the departed in paradise (inspired by a verse by the imperial goldsmith and poet. This theme, common in most Mughal funerary architecture, permeates the entire complex and informs the detailed design of all the elements. A number of secondary principles also inform the design, of which hierarchy is the most dominant.
A deliberate interplay is established between the, its surface decoration, materials, geometric planning and its acoustics. This interplay extends from what can be experienced directly with the senses, into religious, intellectual, mathematical and poetic ideas. The constantly changing sunlight reflected from the Taj's translucent marble is not a happy accident, it had a deliberate metaphoric role associated with the presence of god as light. Symmetry and hierarchy Symmetry and geometric planning played an important role in ordering the complex and reflected a trend towards formal systematisation that was apparent in all of the arts emanating from Jahan's imperial patronage. Expressed simultaneous ideas of pairing, counterparts and integration, reflecting intellectual and spiritual notions of universal harmony. A complex set of implied grids based on the Mughul unit of measurement provided a flexible means of bringing proportional order to all the elements of the Taj Mahal.
Hierarchical ordering of architecture is commonly used to emphasise particular elements of a design and to create drama. In the Taj Mahal, the hierarchical use of red sandstone and white marble contributes manifold symbolic significance. The Mughals were elaborating on a concept which traced its roots to earlier Hindu practices, set out in the, which recommended white stone for buildings for the (priestly ) and red stone for members of the (warrior caste). By building structures that employed such colour-coding, the Mughals identified themselves with the two leading classes of Indian social structure and thus defined themselves as rulers in Indian terms. Red sandstone also had significance in the Persian origins of the Mughal empire where red was the exclusive colour of imperial tents.
In the Taj Mahal the relative importance of each building in the complex is denoted by the amount of white marble (or sometimes white polished plaster) that is used. The use of naturalist ornament demonstrates a similar hierarchy. Wholly absent from the more lowly jilaukhana and caravanserai areas, it can be found with increasing frequency as the processional route approaches the climactic Mausoleum. Its symbolism is multifaceted, on the one hand evoking a more perfect, stylised and permanent garden of paradise than could be found growing in the earthly garden; on the other, an instrument of propaganda for Jahan's chroniclers who portrayed him as an 'erect cypress of the garden of the ' and frequently used plant metaphors to praise his good governance, person, family and court. Plant metaphors also find common cause with Hindu traditions where such symbols as the 'vase of plenty' can be found.
Sound was also used to express ideas of paradise. The interior of the mausoleum has a (the time taken from when a noise is made until all of its echoes have died away) of 28 seconds. This provided an atmosphere where the words of those employed to continually recite the Qu'ran (the ), in tribute and prayer for the soul of Mumtaz, would linger in the air. Throne of God. Diagram of 'Plain of Assembly' ( Ard al-Hashr) on the, from autograph manuscript of Futuhat al-Makkiyya by mystic and philosopher, ca.
Begley put forward an interpretation in 1979 that exploits the Islamic idea that the 'Garden of paradise' is also the location of the on the. In his reading the Taj Mahal is seen as a monument where Shah Jahan has appropriated the authority of the 'throne of god' symbolism for the glorification of his own reign. Koch disagrees, finding this an explanation and pointing out that the 'Throne' verse from the Qu'ran (sura 2, verse 255) is missing from the calligraphic inscriptions.
In 1996 Begley stated that it is likely that the diagram of 'Plain of Assembly' ( Ard al-Hashr) on the Day of Judgment by mystic and philosopher (ca. 1238) was a source of inspiration for the layout of the Taj Mahal garden. Ibn Arabi was held in high regard at the time and many copies of the Futuhat al-Makkiyya, that contains the diagram, were available in India. The diagram shows the 'Arsh (Throne of God; the circle with the eight pointed star), pulpits for the righteous (al-Aminun), seven rows of, (al-Ruh), A'raf (the Barrier), the (Fountain of Abundance; the semi-circle in the center), al-Maqam al-Mahmud (the Praiseworthy Station; where the prophet Muhammad will stand to intercede for the faithful), Mizan (the Scale), (the Bridge), (Hell) and Marj al- (Meadow of Paradise).
The general proportions and the placement of the Throne, the pulpits and the Kausar Fountain show striking similarities with the Taj Mahal and its garden. Symbol of love The popular view of the Taj Mahal as one of the world's monuments to a great 'love story' is borne out by the contemporary accounts and most scholars accept this has a strong basis in fact. The building was also used to assert Jahani propaganda concerning the 'perfection' of the Mughal leadership. The extent to which the Taj uses propaganda is the subject of some debate amongst contemporary scholars. This period of Mughal architecture best exemplifies the maturity of a style that had synthesised Islamic architecture with its indigenous counterparts. By the time the Mughals built the Taj, though proud of their Persian and Timurid roots, they had come to see themselves as Indian.
Copplestone writes 'Although it is certainly a native Indian production, its architectural success rests on its fundamentally Persian sense of intelligible and undisturbed proportions, applied to clean uncomplicated surfaces.' Construction and interment. Base, dome, and minaret The focus and climax of the Taj Mahal complex is the symmetrical white marble tomb; a cubic building with chamfered corners, with arched recesses known as.
It is topped by a large dome and several pillared, roofed chhatris. In plan, it has a near perfect symmetry about 4 axes.
It comprises 4 floors; the lower basement storey containing the tombs of Jahan and Mumtaz, the entrance storey containing identical cenotaphs of the tombs below in a much more elaborate chamber, an ambulatory storey and a roof terrace. Elevations The mausoleum is cubic with edges. On the long sides, a massive pishtaq, or vaulted archway frames an arch-shaped doorway, with a similar arch-shaped balcony above. These main arches extend above the roof the building by use of an integrated facade. To either side of the main arch, additional pishtaqs are stacked above and below.
This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered corner areas. The design is completely uniform and consistent on all sides of the building. Dome The marble dome that surmounts the tomb is its most spectacular feature. Its height is about the same size as the base building, about 35 m. Its height is accentuated because it sits on a cylindrical 'drum' about 7 metres high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an (also called an amrud or apple dome). The dome is topped by a gilded, which mixes traditional Islamic and Hindu decorative elements.
The dome shape is emphasised by four smaller domed chhatris placed at its corners. The chhatri domes replicate the onion shape of main dome. Their columned bases open through the roof of the tomb, and provide light to the interior. The chhatris also are topped by gilded finials. Tall decorative spires ( guldastas) extend from the edges of the base walls, and provide visual emphasis of the dome height.
Lower chamber. Tombs in lower chamber Muslim tradition forbids elaborate decoration of graves, so the bodies of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan are laid in a relatively plain, marble faced chamber, beneath the main chamber of the Taj. They are buried in graves on a north-south axis, with faces turned right (west) toward Mecca. Two cenotaphs above mark the graves. Mumtaz's cenotaph is placed at the precise center of the inner chamber. On a rectangular marble base about 1.5 by 2.5 metres is a smaller marble casket. Both base and casket are elaborately inlaid with precious and semiprecious gems.
Calligraphic inscriptions on top of the casket recite verses from the Koran and on the sides express the. Main chamber The inner chamber of the Taj Mahal contains the cenotaphs of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan. It is a masterpiece of artistic craftsmanship, virtually without precedent or equal. The inner chamber is an octagon.
While the design allows for entry from each face, only the south (garden facing) door is used. The interior walls are about 25 metres high, topped by a 'false' interior dome decorated with a sun motif. Eight pishtaq arches define the space at ground level.
As is typical with the exterior, each lower pishtaq is crowned by a second pishtaq about midway up the wall. The four central upper arches form balconies or viewing areas; each balcony's exterior window has an intricate screen or jali cut from marble. In addition to the light from the balcony screens, light enters through roof openings covered by the chhatris at the corners of the exterior dome.
Each of the chamber walls has been highly decorated with dado bas relief, intricate lapidary inlay, and refined calligraphy panels. The hierarchical ordering of the entire complex reaches its crescendo in the chamber. Mumtaz's cenotaph sits at the geometric centre of the building; Jahan was buried at a later date by her side to the west — an arrangement seen in other Mughal tombs of the period such as.
Marble is used exclusively as the base material for increasingly dense, expensive and complex parchin kari floral decoration as one approaches the screen and cenotaphs which are inlaid with semi-precious stones. The use of such inlay work is often reserved in Shah Jahani architecture for spaces associated with the emperor or his immediate family.
The ordering of this decoration simultaneously emphasises the and the centre of the chamber with dissipating concentric octagons. Such hierarchies appear in both Muslim and Indian culture as important spiritual and atrological themes. The chamber is an abundant evocation of the garden of paradise with representations of flowers, plants and arabesques and the calligraphic inscriptions in both the and the less formal script, Shah Jahan's cenotaph is beside Mumtaz's to the western side.
It is the only asymmetric element in the entire complex. His cenotaph is bigger than his wife's, but reflects the same elements: A larger casket on slightly taller base, again decorated with astonishing precision with lapidary and calligraphy which identifies Shah Jahan. On the lid of this casket is a sculpture of a small pen box.
An octagonal marble screen or jali borders the cenotaphs and is made from eight marble panels. Each panel has been carved through with intricate piercework. The remaining surfaces have been inlaid with semiprecious stones in extremely delicate detail, forming twining vines, fruits and flowers. Riverfront terrace (Chameli Farsh) Plinth and terrace. Tahkhana. Riverfront terrace.
Towers Minarets At the corners of the plinth stand: four large towers each more than 40 metres tall. The towers are designed as working minarets, a traditional element of mosques, a place for a to call the Islamic faithful to prayer. Each minaret is effectively divided into three equal parts by two balconies that ring the tower. At the top of the tower is a final balcony surmounted by a chhatri that echoes the design of those on the tomb. The minaret chhatris share the same finishing touches: a lotus design topped by a gilded finial.
Each of the minarets was constructed slightly out of plumb to the outside of the plinth, so that in the event of collapse (a typical occurrence with many such tall constructions of the period) the structure would fall away from the tomb. Jawab and Mosque. Mosque The mausoleum is flanked by two almost identical buildings on either side of the platform. To the west is the Mosque, to the east is Jawab.
The Jawab, meaning 'answer' balances the bilateral symmetry of the composition and was originally used as a place for entertaining and accommodation for important visitors. It differs from the mosque in that it lacks a, a niche in a mosque's wall facing, and the floors have a geometric design, while the mosque floor was laid out with the outlines of 569 prayer rugs in black marble. The mosque's basic tripartite design is similar to others built by Shah Jahan, particularly the in Delhi — a long hall surmounted by three domes. Mughal mosques of this period divide the hall into three areas: a main sanctuary with slightly smaller sanctuaries to either side. At the Taj Mahal, each sanctuary opens onto an enormous vaulting dome. Garden (Charbagh). Walkways beside reflecting pool The large (a form of divided into four parts) provides the foreground for the classic view of the Taj Mahal.
The 's strict and formal planning employs raised pathways which divide each quarter of the garden into 16 sunken or flowerbeds. A raised marble water tank at the center of the garden, halfway between the tomb and the gateway, and a linear on the North-South axis reflect the Taj Mahal. Elsewhere the garden is laid out with avenues of trees.
The charbagh garden is meant to symbolise the four flowing Rivers of. The raised marble water tank (hauz) is called al Hawd al-Kawthar, literally meaning and named after the 'Tank of Abundance' promised to in paradise where the faithful may quench their thirst upon arrival. Two pavilions occupy the east and west ends of the cross axis, one the mirror of the other.
In the classic charbargh design, gates would have been located in this location. In the Taj they provide punctuation and access to the long enclosing wall with its decorative.
Built of sandstone, they are given a tripartite form and over two storeys and are capped with a white marble chhatris supported from 8 columns. The original planting of the garden is one of the Taj Mahal's remaining mysteries. The contemporary accounts mostly deal just with the architecture and only mention 'various kinds of fruit-bearing trees and rare aromatic herbs' in relation to the garden. Trees are almost certainly to have been planted being popular similes in Persian poetry for the slender elegant stature of the beloved.
By the end of the 18th century, noted orange trees and a large plan of the complex suggests beds of various other fruits such as pineapples, pomegranates, bananas, limes and apples. The British, at the end of the 19th century thinned out a lot of the increasingly forested trees, replanted the cypresses and laid the gardens to lawns in their own taste.
The layout of the garden, and its architectural features such as its fountains, and marble walkways, and geometric brick-lined flowerbeds are similar to Shalimar's, and suggest that the garden may have been designed by the same engineer, Ali Mardan. Early accounts of the garden describe its profusion of vegetation, including, and in abundance. As the Mughal Empire declined, the tending of the garden declined as well.
When the took over management of the Taj Mahal, they changed the landscaping to resemble the formal of. Great gate (Darwaza-i rauza). The great gate stands to the north of the entrance forecourt (jilaukhana) and provides a symbolic transition between the worldly realm of bazaars and caravanserai and the spiritual realm of the paradise garden, mosque and the mausoleum. Its rectangular plan is a variation of the 9-part hasht bihisht plan found in the mausoleum. The corners are articulated with octagonal towers giving the structure a defensive appearance. External domes were reserved for tombs and mosques and so the large central space does not receive any outward expression of its internal dome.
From within the great gate, the Mausoleum is framed by the pointed arch of the portal. Inscriptions from the Qu'ran are inlaid around the two northern and southern pishtaqs, the southern one 'Daybreak' invites believers to enter the garden of paradise. Southern galleries (Iwan Dar Iwan) Running the length of the northern side of the southern garden wall to the east and west of the great gate are galleried arcades.
The galleries were used during the rainy season to admit the poor and distribute alms. A raised platform with geometric paving provides a seating for the column bases and between them are cusped arches typical of the Mughul architecture of the period. The galleries terminate at each end with a transversely placed room with tripartite divisions. Forecourt (Jilaukhana) The jilaukhana (literally meaning 'in front of house') was a courtyard feature introduced to mughal architecture by Shah Jahan.
It provided an area where visitors would dismount from their horses or elephants and assemble in style before entering the main tomb complex. The rectangular area divides north-south and east-west with an entry to the tomb complex through the main gate to the north and entrance gates leading to the outside provided in the eastern, western and southern walls. The southern gate leads to the Taj Ganji quarter. Bazaar streets Two identical streets lead from the east and west gates to the centre of the courtyard.
They are lined by articulated with cusped arches behind which cellular rooms were used to sell goods from when the Taj was built until 1996. The tax revenue from this trade was used for the upkeep of the Taj complex. The eastern bazaar streets were essentially ruined by the end of the 19th century and were restored by restored 1900 and 1908. Inner subsidiary tombs (Saheli Burj) Two mirror image tombs are located at the southern corners of the jilaukhana. They are conceived as miniature replicas of the main complex and stand on raised platforms accessed by steps. Each octagonal tomb is constructed on a rectangular platform flanked by smaller rectangular buildings in front of which is laid a charbargh garden. Some uncertainty exists as to whom the tombs might memorialise.
Their descriptions are absent from the contemporary accounts either because they were unbuilt or because they were ignored, being the tombs of women. On the first written document to mention them, the plan drawn up by Thomas and William Daniel in 1789, the eastern tomb is marked as that belonging to Akbarabadi Mahal and the western as Fatehpuri Mahal (two of Jahan's other wives). Northern courtyards (Khawasspuras) A pair of courtyards is found in the northern corners of the jilaukhana which provided quarters (Khawasspuras) for the tombs attendants and the. This residential element provided a transition between the outside world and the other-worldly delights of the tomb complex. The Khawasspurs had fallen into a state of disrepair by the late 18th century but the institution of the Khadim continued into the 20th century. The Khawasspuras were restored by Lord Curzon as part of his repairs between 1900 and 1908, after which the western courtyard was used as a for the garden and the western courtyard was used as a cattle stable until 2003.
Bazaar and caravanserai (Taj Ganji) The and were constructed as an integral part of the complex, initially to provide the construction workers with accommodation and facilities for their wellbeing, and later as a place for trade, the revenue of which supplemented the expenses of the complex. The area became a small town in its own right during and after the building of the Taj.
Originally known as 'Mumtazabad', today it is called Taj Ganji or 'Taj Market'. Its plan took the characteristic form of a square divided by two cross axial streets with gates to the four. Bazaars lined each street and the resultant squares to each corner housed the caravanserais in open courtyards accessed from internal gates from where the streets intersected (Chauk).
Contemporary sources pay more attention to the north eastern and western parts of the Taj Ganji (Taj Market) and it is likely that only this half received imperial funding. Thus, the quality of the architecture was finer than the southern half. The distinction between how the sacred part of the complex and the secular was regarded is most acute in this part of the complex. Whilst the rest of the complex only received maintenance after its construction, the Taj Ganji became a bustling town and the centre of Agra's economic activity where 'different kinds of merchandise from every land, varieties of goods from every country, all sorts of luxuries of the time, and various kinds of necessities of civilisation and comfortable living brought from all parts of the world' were sold. An idea of what sort of goods might have been traded is found in the names for the caravanserais; the north western one was known as Katra Omar Khan (Market of Omar Khan), the north eastern as Katra Fulel (Perfume Market), the south western as Katra Resham (Silk Market) and the south-eastern as Katra Jogidas. It has been constantly redeveloped ever since its construction, to the extent that by the 19th century it had become unrecognisable as part of the Taj Mahal and no longer featured on contemporary plans and its architecture was largely obliterated.
Today, the contrast is stark between the Taj Mahal's elegant, formal geometric layout and the narrow streets with organic, random and un-unified constructions found in the Taj Ganji. Only fragments of the original constructions remain, most notably the gates. Perimeter walls and ancillary buildings The Taj Mahal complex is bounded on three sides by red sandstone walls, with the river-facing side left open. The garden-facing inner sides of the wall are fronted by columned, a feature typical of Hindu temples which was later incorporated into Mughal mosques. The wall is interspersed with domed chhatris, and small buildings that may have been viewing areas or watch towers.
Outside the walls are several additional mausolea. These structures, composed primarily of red sandstone, are typical of the smaller Mughal tombs of the era.
The outer eastern tomb has an associated mosque called the Black Mosque (Kali Masjid) or the Sandalwood Mosque (Sandli Masjid). The design is closely related to the inner subsidiary tombs found in the Jilhaukhana — small, landlocked versions of the riverfront terrace with a garden separating the mosque from the tomb. The person interred here is unknown, but was likely a female member of Jahan's household. Waterworks Water for the Taj complex was provided through a complex infrastructure. It was first drawn from the river by a series of purs - an animal-powered rope and bucket mechanism. The water then flowed along an arched into a large storage tank, where, by thirteen additional purs, it was raised to large distribution above the Taj ground level located to the west of the complex's wall.
From here water passed into three subsidiary tanks and was then piped to the complex. The generated by the height of the tanks (9.5m) was sufficient to supply the fountains and irrigate the gardens. A 0.25 metre diameter earthenware lies 1.8 metres below the surface, in line with the main walkway which fills the main pools of the complex.
Some of the earthenware pipes were replaced in 1903 with cast iron. The fountain pipes were not connected directly to the fountain heads, instead a copper pot was provided under each fountain head: water filled the pots ensuring an equal pressure to each fountain. The purs no longer remain, but the other parts of the infrastructure have survived with the arches of the aqueduct now used to accommodate offices for the 's Horticultural Department. Moonlight garden (Mahtab Bagh).
18th-century view of the Taj Mahal complex with the Moonlight garden shown at the top of the page. To the north of the Taj Mahal complex, across the river is another Charbagh garden,. It was designed as an integral part of the complex in the riverfront terrace pattern seen elsewhere in Agra. Its width is identical to that of the rest of the Taj. The garden historian Elizabeth Moynihan suggests the large octagonal pool in the centre of the terrace would reflect the image of the Mausoleum and thus the garden would provide a setting to view the Taj Mahal. The garden has been beset by flooding from the river since Mughal times.
As a result, the condition of the remaining structures is quite ruinous. Four sandstone towers marked the corners of the garden, only the south-eastward one remains. The foundations of two structures remain immediately north and south of the large pool which were probably garden pavilions. From the northern structure a stepped waterfall would have fed the pool. The garden to the north has the typical square, cross-axial plan with a square pool in its centre. To the west an aqueduct fed the garden.
References Footnotes. The UNESCO evaluation omits the Bazaar, Caravenserai (Taj Ganji) and Moonlight garden (Mahtab Bagh) from its area calculations — the total area with the historic Taj Ganji is 26.95 ha. 'May the abode of Mumtaz Mahal be paradise'.). The grandson of of Amber and a relative of Shah Jahan through his Great Uncle. The is lunar and so the anniversary dates vary when expressed in the.
In 1637–39 AD (1047–1049 AH), an Indian servant of the Dutch East India company could expect to receive 36 Rupees annually, a would receive 9000 Rupees a year. There is some disagreement as to whether the translation of darogha imarat is 'Superintendent of Buildings' as Begley and Koch contend or 'Chief architect' as Qaisar contends. 1643 (1053 AH) by Lahouri. Citations. Retrieved 2007-03-21. ^ Koch, p.18. Qazwini.
233a translated by Begley and Desai (1984), p.14. ^ Asher, p.210. Dr. Exotic Indian Art. Retrieved 2009-08-07. Begley and Desai, 1989 - translating Qazwini, fol. 233b).
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^ Asher, p.212. Koch, p.97 quoting Qazwini. ^ Koch, p.97.
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Begley and Desai (1989), p.65. ^ Dunkeld, Malcolm (Ed) (June 2007). Chartered Institute of Building. Archived from (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-23. CS1 maint: Extra text: authors list. ^ Anon.
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^ Koch, p.108-109. Begley (1989), p.64-76. Balasubramaniam, p.42-49. Koch, p.174-175. Koch, p.152-179. Koch, p180-181.
Begley, Wayne E. (March 1979).
'The Myth of the Taj Mahal and a New Theory of Its Symbolic Meaning'. The Art Bulletin. 61 (1): 7–37. ^ Koch, p.137. Koch, p.138.
^ Koch, p.139. Allan, John (1958). The Cambridge Shorter History of India (First ed.). Cambridge: S. Pp. 288 pages., p.318.
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Koch, p.201 quoting Lahauri and Kambo. ^ Koch, p209-213.
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