TAJ MAHAL!

Taj Mahal monument is located on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, India, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. considered to be the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Ottoman, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles.

Taj Mahal Building work began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, and employed thousands of craftsmen and artisans. The principal designer of Taj Mahal is considered to be Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

By using materials from all over India and Asia, the construction work being done to the Taj Mahal. To transport building materials during construction, nearly 1,000 elephants were used. Precious and semi-precious stones Twenty eight types were inlaid in white marble. The crystalline white marble was brought from Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from Tibet, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, while the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the carnelian from Arabia.

A workforce of twenty thousand workers was recruited across northern India. Sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlays from southern India, stone cutters from Baluchistan, a specialist in building turrets, another who carved only marble flowers were part of the thirty-seven men who formed the creative unit.

Grave: The white marble tomb is the biggest attraction of the Taj Mahal, which stands on a square plinth consisting of a well proportioned building with an arch-shaped doorway, topped by a large dome. Like most Mughal tombs, basic elements are Persian origin.

Exterior Decoration: The exterior decorations of Taj Mahal are among the finest found in Mughal architecture. The decorative elements were created using paint or stucco, or stone inlays or carvings. Islamic norms prohibiting the use of human-like forms are observed.

Interior Design: The inner chamber of the Taj Mahal steps far beyond traditional decorative elements. Inner chamber is an octagon with the design allowing for entry from each face, but only the south garden-facing door is used. The interior walls are about 25 meters high and topped with a "false" interior dome decorated with a sun motif.

Haven Mughal Gardens are built around a large 300-meter square and garden uses raised consider splitting each of the four quarters in the garden of 16 sunken flowerbeds. A raised marble water tank in the middle of the garden, halfway between the tomb and gateway, with a reflecting pool on North-South axis reflects the image of the Taj Mahal.

Tourist Attraction:

Taj Mahal attracts 2 to 4 million visitors each year, with more than 200,000 from abroad. Most tourists visit in the months October, November and February. Polluting traffic is not allowed near the complex and tourist must either walk from the parking or catch an electric bus. The northern gateway currently being restored for use as a new visitor center, the small town south of the Taj known as Taj Ganji or Mumtazabad, originally built in markets that meet the needs of visitors and workmen. Lists of recommended destinations often feature the Taj Mahal, which also appears in several listings of seven wonders of the modern world, including the recently announced new seven wonders of the world, a recent poll with 100 million votes.

The grounds are open from 6 to 7 weekdays, except Friday. The complex is open for evenings on the day of full moon and two days before and after, except for Friday and the month of Ramzan. For security reasons, only five elements - water in transparent bottles, small video cameras still cameras, mobile phones and small ladies' purses - is allowed inside the Taj Mahal.

In 1983, Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of world heritage."

Agra Fort: Agra Fort is situated on the banks of river Yamuna, which is 2 km northwest of the Taj Mahal. It was designed and built by Akbar in 1565 AD, which houses the beautiful Pearl Mosque and numerous palaces including the Jahangir Mahal, Diwan-i-Khas and Diwan-i-Am.