Pete & Diana's India Adventure
Chennai
Chennai sightseeing
IEEE Conference
Jodhpur
Jaswant Thada
Mehrangarh Fort
Umaid Bhawan Palace
Jodhpur
Ranakpur
Jain Temple
Ranakpur
Udaipur
Jadish Temple
City Palace
Monsoon Palace
Jag Mandir
Udaipur
Jaipur
The Pink City
Amber Fort
Jal Mahal (Water Palace)
Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds)
City Palace of Jaipur
Jantar Mantar Observatory
Royal Gaitor
Jaipur
Abheneri
Chand Baori (Step Well)
Abheneri
Agra
Fatehpur Sikri
Taj Mahal
Red Fort
Itmad-ud-Daula (Baby Taj)
Agra
Delhi
Old Dehli
Jama Masjid
Raj Ghat & Ghandi Smriti
Humayan's Tomb
Qtub Minar
National Rail Museum
New Dehli
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Taj Mahal, Agra - Great gate (Darwaza-i rauza), the main entrance to the Taj Mahal. The main gateway (darwaza) is a monumental structure built primarily of marble which is reminiscent of Mughal architecture of earlier emperors. Its archways mirror the shape of tomb's archways, and its arches incorporate the calligraphy that decorates the tomb. It utilizes bas-relief and pietra dura inlaid decorations with floral motifs.
Taj Mahal, Agra - Great gate (Darwaza-i rauza), the main entrance to the Taj Mahal. The main gateway (darwaza) is a monumental structure built primarily of marble which is reminiscent of Mughal architecture of earlier emperors. Its archways mirror the shape of tomb's archways, and its arches incorporate the calligraphy that decorates the tomb. It utilizes bas-relief and pietra dura inlaid decorations with floral motifs.
Taj Mahal, Agra - built by Shah Jahan as a memorial for his 3rd wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. Construction of the Taj began in 1632, although the main building is thought to have been built in 8 years, the whole complex was not completed until 1653. Not long after it was finished, Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in Agra Fort where, for the rest of his days, he could only gaze out a window at his creation. Following his death in 1666, Shah Jahan was buried here along side Mumtaz.
Taj Mahal, Agra - the central Taj structure is made of semi translucent white marble, carved with flowers and inlaid with thousands of semiprecious stones. A perfect exercise in symmetry, the four identical faces of the Taj feature vaulted arches embellished with pieta dura scrollwork and quotations from the Quran in a style of calligraphy using inlaid Jasper. Purely decorative 40-m high minarets are at each corner of the platform. They are not quite perpendicular, and may have been designed that way so that, in the event of collapse (such as in an earthquake), (a typical occurrence with many tall constructions of the period) the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb.
Taj Mahal, Agra
Taj Mahal, Agra
Taj Mahal, Agra
Taj Mahal, Agra - Great gate (Darwaza-i rauza), the main entrance to the tomb, viewed from the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal, Agra - the Mosque or Masjid. It serves two purposes, first, it was obligatory according to the Muslim law for each mausoleum to have a place of worship nearby; second, the mosque and a mirror image of the mosque, a guest house that stands on the opposite side of it, together provide a perfect symmetrical balance to the architecture of whole of Taj Mahal. These outlying buildings were completed in 1643.
Taj Mahal, Agra - the Mosque or Masjid. It serves two purposes, first, it was obligatory according to the Muslim law for each mausoleum to have a place of worship nearby; second, the mosque and a mirror image of the mosque, a guest house that stands on the opposite side of it, together provide a perfect symmetrical balance to the architecture of whole of Taj Mahal. These outlying buildings were completed in 1643.
Taj Mahal - photo taken through lattice work
Taj Mahal - view of the Yamuna river from the back of the Taj. The minarets, which are each more than 130 ft tall, display the designer's penchant for symmetry. They were designed as working minarets — a traditional element of mosques, used by the muezzin to call the Islamic faithful to prayer. The minarets were constructed slightly outside of the plinth so that, in the event of collapse, (a typical occurrence with many tall constructions of the period) the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb.
"Black" Taj Mahal - A myth holds that Shah Jahan planned a mausoleum to be built in black marble across the river. The idea originates in writings of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier who visited Agra in 1665. It was suggested that Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son before it could be built. However, excavations in the 1990s found that they were white stones that had turned black. A more credible theory for the origins of the black mausoleum was demonstrated in 2006 by archaeologists who reconstructed part of the pool in the Moonlight Garden. A dark reflection of the white mausoleum could clearly be seen, befitting Shah Jahan's obsession with symmetry and the positioning of the pool itself.
Taj Mahal - built by Shah Jahan as a memorial for his 3rd wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. Construction of the Taj began in 1632, although the main building is thought to have been built in 8 years, the whole complex was not completed until 1653. Not long after it was finished, Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in Agra Fort where, for the rest of his days, he could only gaze out a window at his creation. Following his death in 1666, Shah Jahan was buried here along side Mumtaz.
Taj Mahal - Great gate (Darwaza-i rauza), the main entrance to the tomb, viewed from the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal - Great gate (Darwaza-i rauza), the main entrance to the tomb, viewed from the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal - Calligraphy on exterior (upper left). The decorative elements were created by applying paint, stucco, stone inlays, or carvings. In line with the Islamic prohibition against the use of anthropomorphic forms, the decorative elements can be grouped into either calligraphy, abstract forms or vegetative motifs. Throughout the complex, passages from the Qur'an are used as decorative elements.
Taj Mahal, Agra - Detail of pietra dura inlay. Pietra dura is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly-polished colored stones to create images.
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal- the central Taj structure is made of semi translucent white marble, carved with flowers and inlaid with thousands of semiprecious stones. Throughout the complex, passages from the Qur'an are used as decorative elements (see calligraphy surrounding the archway). The decorative elements were created by applying paint, stucco, stone inlays, or carvings. In line with the Islamic prohibition against the use of anthropomorphic forms, the decorative elements can be grouped into either calligraphy, abstract forms or vegetative motifs.
Taj Mahal - the central Taj structure is made of semi translucent white marble, carved with flowers and inlaid with thousands of semiprecious stones.
Taj Mahal, Agra - built by Shah Jahan as a memorial for his 3rd wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631.
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal viewed from the city of Agra
Taj Mahal - interior (cameras not allowed, taken from internet)
Taj Mahal - interior (cameras not allowed, taken from internet)
Taj Mahal - interior (cameras not allowed, taken from internet)
Taj Mahal - interior (cameras not allowed, taken from internet)