Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal was built by a Mongul emperor named Sahah Jahan, for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Sahah Jahan was born in 1592, while his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal was born in 1593. They married in 1612 and had seven children. In 1628 Shah Jahan became the Mongul Emperor. Only three years later his beloved wife died shortly after childbirth. In 1632 Sahah Jahan began the project of building a mausoleum, or tomb for his wife, the Taj Mahal.
Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, whom he held precious. Mumtaz Mahal was giving birth to the fourteenth child of the emperor, and she died in the process. This was in 1631. Legend has it that Shah Jahan, who considered his empress an integral part of his life, was broken after her death, and within just a few months, his hair and beard grew snow white, such was the terrible impact of the demise upon him.
Time and amount
The construction of the Taj Mahal was begun in 1632, a year after the death of Empress Mumtaz. The construction was completed in the year 1653, which means that it took approximately 22 years to complete this astounding piece of architecture. At that time, the estimated construction cost was a whopping sum of Rs. 32 million, which, when considered in terms of todays value of money, would be something way above $1 billion.
Construction and employees
The architect behind all the magic was Ahmed Lahauri. He put more than 20,000 people into building the Taj, including labourers, stonecutters, painters, embroidery artists, calligraphers, and many others. But, how were the stones and materials required for the construction of the mausoleum transported Well, elephants were employed to do the task, and amazingly, there were more than 1,000 of the majestic creatures employed.
Materials Used
The magnificent edifice is bounded on three sides by red stone walls. It is constructed completely of white marble. The emperor had marbles of the best quality brought from Rajasthan, Afghanistan, Tibet and China. But this was probably not enough for the emperor. It is believed that more than 28 different types of precious and semi-precious stones, including the striking lapis lazuli, were inlaid into the marble. Now we know where all the money went.
Inscriptions
The Taj Mahal being the dedication and homage of Mumtaz Mahal, it has calligraphy all over the interior and exterior, which, among other patterns and holy inscriptions, also has calligraphy on the tomb that identifies and praises Mumtaz Mahal. Another interesting fact is that there are 99 names of Allah found on the sides of the actual tomb as calligraphic inscriptions. After all, Shah Jahan did envision Mumtazs home in the paradise, and Taj Mahal was that imagination coming to life.
