Synopsis:
Commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the
remains of his cherished wife, the Taj Mahal stands on the southern bank
of the Yamuna River in Agra, India. The famed mausoleum complex, built
over more than 20 years, is one of the most outstanding examples of
Mughal architecture, which combined Indian, Persian and Islamic
influences. At its center is the Taj Mahal itself, built of shimmering
white marble that seems to change color depending on the sunlight or
moonlight hitting its surface. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site
in 1983, it remains one of the world's most celebrated structures and a
stunning symbol of India's rich history.
Taj Mahal: Shah Jahan's Romantic Gesture
Shah
Jahan was a member of the Mughal dynasty that ruled most of northern
India from the early 16th to the mid 18th-century. After the death of
his father, King Jahangir, in 1627, Shah Jahan emerged the victor of a
bitter power struggle with his brothers, and crowned himself emperor at
Agra in 1628. At his side was Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as
Mumtaz Mahal ("Chosen One of the Palace"), whom he married in 1612 and
cherished as the favorite of his three queens.
In 1631, Mumtaz
Mahal died after giving birth to the couple's 14th child. The grieving
Shah Jahan, known for commissioning a number of impressive structures
throughout his reign, ordered the building of a magnificent mausoleum
across the Yamuna River from his own royal palace at Agra. Construction
began around 1632 and would continue for the next two decades. The chief
architect was probably Ustad Ahmad Lahouri, an Indian of Persian
descent who would later be credited with designing the Red Fort at
Delhi. In all, more than 20,000 workers from India, Persia, Europe and
the Ottoman Empire, along with some 1,000 elephants, were brought in to
build the mausoleum complex.
Watch
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment