The Taj Mahal
The jewel of Islamic art in India and a universally admired masterpiece of the world's heritage.
Last updated
Jakub Hałun · CC BY-SA 4.0
Where it is
Coordinates: 27°10′30″N 78°02′31″E (27.1750, 78.0420) · Open in OpenStreetMap
Coordinates and connected clubs: the infobox of Wikipedia: Taj Mahal (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map: drawn by Codexery from OpenStreetMap tiles.
In 1983, UNESCO added the Taj Mahal to its World Heritage list, and the site receives over five million tourists each year.[1] The design of the complex merges Indo-Islamic and Mughal architectural styles, featuring symmetrical layouts.[2]
Key facts and history
Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal in 1631 to memorialize his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth that year.[3] The complex includes a charbagh garden divided by walkways into quadrants with a raised marble water tank at its center.[4] Four minarets flank the tomb, each over 130 ft tall and built slightly outward to fall away from the tomb in case of collapse.[5] The mausoleum's construction ended in 1648, and the whole complex was finished five years later, in 1653.[6]
On 6 February 1643, Shah Jahan held the first ceremony at the mausoleum to mark the 12th anniversary of Mumtaz Mahal's death.[6] The New 7 Wonders of the World initiative named the Taj Mahal a winner in 2007.[1]
What the cited sources add
The Independent Travellers account notes that hundreds of trees in the garden grow with labels containing individual numbers and scientific names.[7] The same source states that within a few kilometers of the Taj Mahal, only electric autos may be used.[7] The Darwaza is described as the main entrance to the Taj Mahal in that account.[7] The Independent Travellers source also mentions that the Taj Mahal is full of tourists at noon.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Taj Mahal" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "List of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains of Agra", Archaeological Survey of India (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Taj Mahal" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Indo-iranica", Iran Society, 1979, p. 15–16 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Taj Mahal" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Asher 1992, p. 210; "Taj Mahal: Memorial to Love", PBS; Sarkar 1919; "Creation History of Taj Mahal", Government of India (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Taj Mahal" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Begley 1979, p. 14; "The plants growing throughout the Taj Mahal complex", Independent Travellers; "Taj Garden", Government of India (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Taj Mahal" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Exterior of Taj Mahal", Government of India (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Taj Mahal" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Taj Mahal", District Agra (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "The plants growing throughout the Taj Mahal complex", Independent Travellers. facts only, no text reused. independent-travellers.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Taj Mahal (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Taj Mahal (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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