Stolen taj mahal or Armenian myths against historical documents. Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

Gyuli was already laughing merrily, and her protector suddenly burst into tears, burying herself in the prince's shoulder. He embarrassedly stroked her thin shoulders, spoke some comforting words, but Arjumand could not calm down.
After this incident, Khurram realized that this girl meant a lot to him. He began to visit the palace of the first minister more often. His father did not interfere with his communication with Arjumand, and they wandered for a long time in the shady garden and talked about everything in the world.

Arjumand Bano Begum

The fame of the wise beyond her years Arjumand Bano Begum spread throughout India. Many sought her hands, but the girl gave her heart to Prince Khurram. However, according to tradition and the status of the heir to the throne, the prince was required to marry a Persian princess.
Fortunately for the lovers, Islam allowed polygamy, so they were able to marry. But this did not happen soon, as astrologers and astrologers were waiting for a favorable arrangement of the stars. The lovers were separated for a long five years. In 1612, Arjumand finally became the second and most beloved wife of the prince.
She was called “the diamond in the crown”, “the white-faced Persian”, and even before the wedding, her father-in-law called the bride of her son Mumtaz Mahal, which means “high darling of the palace”. She was called the most beautiful woman in the country. No one could compare with her thin waist and arrows of long dark eyelashes. Poets of all countries sang the beauty of Mumtaz Mahal.
Fragile in appearance, Arjumand turned out to be very hardy and patient. Shah Jahan was persecuted by his father, the ruling padishah Jahangir. For seven years, Khurram and Mumtaz had to wander around the country, as the padishah did not want to transfer his throne to Shah Jahan and tried to destroy him.
When death overtook Jahangir, the crown prince appeared in the palace and managed to seize the throne. Despite the persistent requests of Mumtaz to spare his brothers and nephews, Shah Jahan brutally cracked down on them, destroying all possible contenders for the throne. So he avenged years of exile and persecution, for fierce fights, each of which could end in the death of the prince, his wife and children.
According to the laws of Islam, Shah Jahan had to hide his wife from strangers. All Muslims did this. This was facilitated by the lack of windows in the women's half of the house. Women could only go out into the closed courtyard or look at the world through the barred likeness of windows created by oriental craftsmen. Through the gaps in the patterns, women could observe what was happening outside the palace, while remaining unnoticed.
Among other things, it was considered extremely obscene to ask a man about his wife or even talk about her, even when communicating with close friends.
In everyday life, according to the canons of Islam, the husband and wife had to address each other as Ali's mother or Hussein's father (names, of course, are arbitrary), that is, by kinship to common children. In the third person, the wife spoke of her husband as a master, and he spoke of her as a mistress. The younger master was usually called the first-born.
Curious is the fact that women in the East manage to give birth twice a year. A thin waist here is an indicator of female failure and unattractiveness for the opposite sex. Therefore, between the bearing of children, the body under the clothes is wrapped with several layers of fabric, helping the woman to look "very pregnant" again, as proof that she is loved and desired.

wedding procession. Drawing on a Persian carpet of the 17th century.

The birth of a child was surrounded by mystery due to fear of the influence of the evil eye. The birth of a boy was the pride of the family and the envy of enemies, and therefore could bring evil spirits to the woman in labor and the newborn. Having accepted the baby, the midwife announced loudly: “Yes, this is a girl, and even a crooked one!” By such a naive concealment of gender, the family hoped to protect the child from the evil eye.
At the birth of the girl, the gender was not hidden, because this event did not give grounds for envy. But in order for the girl to grow up beautiful, the same midwife reported publicly that the girl was black and black. In fact, this meant that the newborn was "as bright as the full moon." Relatives and even family members could see the woman in labor and the baby only on the sixth day after the birth, on the holiday of chhati, since before that time the mother and child were especially vulnerable to the evil eye.
In noble families, a woman was called by a title or an honorary nickname. All the names of famous Indian Muslim women that have come down to us - Mumtaz Mahal, Nur Jahan, Jahanara, Zeb un-Nissa, Hazrat Mahal and others - are titles and nicknames.
The history of the Indian Middle Ages has preserved the names of these women, who proved themselves not only as wives and mothers. These women were able to combine family duty with other activities (and sometimes, by the will of circumstances, they had to sacrifice marriage and motherhood).
All of them, to one degree or another, violated the established traditions and stereotypes, although they were not always aware of this, but in this way they were able to leave their names on the pages of history.
Mumtaz Mahal became an indispensable assistant and true friend for her husband. She turned out to be a wonderful mother. Children were born one after another, but the state of pregnancy did not prevent Mumtaz from accompanying her husband in all his campaigns.
Exhausted from constant fatigue, Mumtaz Mahal took care of the children herself, but she never complained and always knew how to find warm words of support for her husband.

Noble lady in front of a mirror

Shah Jahan infinitely trusted his wife, he even appointed her the keeper of the main state seal. He consulted with Mumtaz in all important matters. And if Mumtaz Mahal for some reason could not attend the solemn ceremony or meeting of foreign ambassadors, then they were postponed to another time.
The opinion of the wise Mumtaz was perceived as an indisputable truth, since she could objectively assess the political situation, calculate all the possible consequences and circumstances of the decision being made. Shah Jahan admired his wife's insight.
He was ready to put all the treasures of the world at the feet of his beloved. In the name of Mumtaz, the padishah built white marble palaces and mosques instead of red sandstone buildings. It seemed to him that everything beautiful became a hundred times more beautiful from the admiring glance of his wife.
The padishah tried to express the depth of his feelings in the forms and lines of magnificent buildings and structures. Not by chance, but quite deservedly, Shah Jahan was called a great architect. In the whole world, he had no one dearer and closer to the beautiful Mumtaz. Probably, the great love for this woman inspired Shah Jahan to build palaces, fortresses and mosques, which have no equal in beauty. In their perfect lines, all the power of his love and tenderness.
The padishah loved everything in his wife. It seemed to him that the depth of her almond-shaped eyes was always fraught with some kind of mystery. When Mumtaz was sad or very tired, she appeared to Jahan as a resentful child. He hugged his wife, pressed her to his heart and tried to do everything to see again the joyful smile on her lips and the cute dimples hiding in the corners of her lips.
When Shah Jahan was unwell, Mumtaz spent whole hours and days near his bed. Her cool, tender fingers touched the hot forehead of her beloved, and he immediately felt better, the disease receded, and his thoughts acquired clarity and clarity.
But most of all, Shah Jahan loved the sweet body of Mumtaz, which for almost two decades gave him unspeakable bliss. Having experienced an all-consuming passion for the first time, Jahan called his beloved by the tender name of Lala, which in Persian means “scarlet ruby ​​drop”.

Ceremonial portraits of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

He pitied her warm and tender body as the pain of birth pangs tore at him. Shah Jahan was proud of his children. Fourteen times Mumtaz bore him children. Nine of them survived and grew to adulthood.
Shah Jahan liked to talk with his eldest son Dara-Shukoh, who was fond of philosophy and absorbed the ancient teachings of the Sufis. Next to him, he always rested his soul. Shuja's son became a convinced Shia, and Aurangzeb hated the Shiites.
All the lust for power of the Great Moghuls seemed to be concentrated in Aurangzeb. His cruel temper could not be softened by maternal love, and his father was never able to inspire respect and reverence for his elders in his son, to endow him with flexibility of mind and political flair.
Shah Jahan was very fond of his youngest daughter, Jahanara, whose care Mumtaz entrusted to him on her deathbed. She was never able to recover from the last childbirth that happened during a trip to the Deccan. It's been a few days since Jahanara saw the light of day. Mumtaz got a little stronger and again began to delve into the solution of state issues.
It happened in Burhanpur, where Shah Jahan ordered to pitch tents. Early in the morning, after feeding her daughter, Mumtaz invited her husband to play chess, but suddenly felt unwell. Shah Jahan was always accompanied on campaigns by the best court doctors, but they were powerless, their treatment did not bring any relief to the woman.
According to legend, when Mumtaz realized that she was dying, she turned to her husband and asked him to build a beautiful mausoleum for her and not look for another wife. Shah Jahan vowed to fulfill the request of his beloved wife. Mumtaz Mahal is dead. She was buried in Burhanpur, and then, six months later, the coffin was transferred to Agra and buried in a park on the banks of the Jamna.
She gave Shah Jahan eighteen years of happiness, and it took him the same amount of time to build a tomb for his beloved, worthy of her beauty. He dreamed of building a black marble mausoleum for himself on the other side of the Jamna, an exact copy of the Taj Mahal.
The padishah imagined how the black palace would rise to the sky, how the autumn waters of Jamna would touch the lower steps of the white and black mausoleums, how the laced arch of the black and white bridge would connect them forever.
Preparatory work had already begun, the foundation was being laid and pile fortifications were being built on the sloping bank of the Jamna ... This place later became known as Mehtab Dagh - Lunar (Fantastic) Garden. However, this idea, not devoid of elegance and at the same time scope, was not destined to be realized for the reason that the treasury had already been devastated by the previous construction, and endless wars prevented the accumulation of forces and means. The black mausoleum was never built.

View of the Taj Mahal from the main gate

On that long-awaited day, when the construction of the Taj Mahal was completed, a solemn procession headed to the mausoleum. A magnificent cavalcade was led by a rider on a white stallion. His youthful posture, the confidence with which he kept himself in the saddle, did not allow even to think that the padishah was already sixty.
The time of twilight was coming, the colors of the wonderful palace were slightly muted. The moon has not yet risen and adorned the white marble with its ghostly brilliance. The cavalcade drove up to the gate leading to the garden. Shah Jahan raised his hand, forbidding his retinue to follow him, and rode alone under the carved arch of the gate.
With a light step, the horse moved almost silently along the deserted paths of the garden. A high fence separated Shah Jahan and his beloved Mumtaz from the whole world. There were only He and She.
Jahan was worried, like before a date after a long separation. Slowly he descended the wide steps into the lower hall, where there were no windows. He lit the candles. Their flame flared up in hundreds of sparks in the huge diamond of Koh-i-Nor, inserted into the head of the tomb. The glare was reflected in the mirrored vaulted ceiling and formed a light pink subtle pattern on the smooth surface of the sarcophagus. Shah Jahan stroked the marble, which seemed warm to him, knelt down and closed his eyes. He tried to imagine the image of his beloved, but something did not add up. Her gentle hands, amazing eyes and scarlet lips were remembered separately, but he could not see her all.

Carved marble fence of the cenotaph

The padishah got up. How long has he been here? Two candles melted and went out. When he again entered the upper hall, the flame of the last candle suddenly faltered and went out. A light breeze, like the breath of a loved one, touched his cheek. "Lala!" called the padishah. He thought he heard someone's gentle whisper in response. Then he shouted: "Lala!" – and listened for a long time as the multiple echo answered him. He would give anything in the world to endlessly listen to this song about the beauty of eternal love.
Mumtaz sadly looked after the departing beloved. Her soul finally found peace. Now Shah Jahan will be able to visit her more often. How she longed to press his gray-haired head to her chest! She gathered all her strength and reached out to her husband, but she could only extinguish the candle and for a fraction of a moment press herself against his cheek. O miracle! He noticed this and called Mumtaz her favorite name: "Lala!".
She hovered under the mausoleum's ornate ceiling and reminisced. When did he first call her that? When it was?
Their first night of love... She remembered every minute of this wonderful night. She thought about her fate, that Allah had given her such love. It is a pity that this happens infrequently with Eastern women.
An Arabic saying came to her mind: "A woman is a camel who must carry her husband through the desert of life." The task and purpose of women in the countries of the East are reduced to the satisfaction of the stronger sex and the continuation of the human race.
The woman's own feelings, her emotions are not taken into account. This is not provided for in the Qur'an or in the Sunnah. But she must be attractive, her appearance must influence a man so that he wants to take her as his wife.
The main goal of a Muslim woman is to get married. Most often, the groom met his future wife only on the wedding day, but there were almost no disappointments, because from an early age a girl was prepared to meet a man - her husband. In Persia, and later in India, it was customary to teach daughters to control the body, to walk, gracefully swaying their hips, so that at the sight of her a man would be filled with desire.
The Middle Ages, including the Indian, was an era of male domination, and its history, with rare exceptions, was written by men. It is all the more interesting to study the position of women on the examples of those who could nevertheless leave their mark on the pages of history.

Patterns on the ceiling of the main hall of the Taj Mahal mausoleum

Unlike a man who was born in order to - depending on the caste - be a warrior or an artisan, a king or a subject, a woman was born in order, and only in order to be a wife and mother, no matter what caste she belongs to. belonged. There was simply no other way for a woman, unless she wanted to deprive herself and her family of social status and respect from others.
It is no coincidence that in many parts of India it has become customary to address "mother" even to a little girl. A person who deprived a daughter of marriage, whatever the reasons, was considered a sinner, a murderer of her unborn children. If a man died leaving an unmarried daughter, the first duty of his relatives, heirs, or friends was to arrange for her marriage.
Throughout her life, a woman was dependent on others: first, from her father, then from her husband, and after his death, from her son. In the literature, the comparison of a husband with a tree trunk, and a wife with a liana, which, having lost its support, cannot live, has been established.
A woman was deprived of the opportunity to exercise her will in everything, and above all in choosing a spouse, for this was the duty of her father and relatives, and the widespread custom of child marriages reduced the slightest possibility of independent choice to nothing.
Even the custom of svayamvara, known from ancient and early medieval literature, when the princess chose her groom from several applicants for whom the tournament was arranged, did not change anything, because if the girl was not intended as a reward for the winner, then she had to choose among those whom she had never before saw.
There was no question of any courtship and love in the usual sense of the word. It is no coincidence that even the most romantic works of literature of the Middle Ages either described purely dynastic marriages or entertained readers with stories about how a hero or heroine fell in love with each other from a distance, after seeing a portrait or hearing about the beauty of a betrothed from the story of a talking parrot.

Vari da bagh cape with 52 embroideries

Mumtaz was lucky: she knew the groom long before the wedding. They were connected by a great feeling, in strength and depth incomparable with anything else. They were always good with each other. Prince Khurram loved to talk with his beloved, respected her opinion on any issue. For a long time of separation, they wrote hundreds of letters, which, in addition to passionate longing, always contained smart and meaningful stories about the life around them, about the books they read, about plans for the future. Mumtaz did not need to use any female tricks at all to captivate Khurram, he was already captivated by her. But since childhood, she has been accustomed to taking care of her face and body. Even as a girl, she, along with her mother, picked up the composition of her perfume and the aroma of incense.
Since then, she has always prepared perfumes herself, acquiring all the necessary components in special shops on the market. Mumtaz chose the delicate scent of lavender and patchouli. Khurram was very pleased with her choice. She knew that until now he keeps her clothes and often, opening a large carved chest, inhales for a long time the unique native smell.
Before the wedding, the future mother-in-law, according to ancient custom, presented Mumtaz vari da bagh - a luxurious scarlet cape, the entire surface of which was covered with small embroidered golden-yellow squares. She also gave a chopé - another wedding cape embroidered in the bagh style, in which the maternal grandmother wrapped the bride before the miracle ceremony (the rite of the wedding night).
Before the marriage ceremony, the bride spent twelve days in complete isolation; on the day of the wedding, her face was covered with a thick veil and for the first time appeared to the groom in a mirror image during the ritual “mirror and the Koran”.

Wedding dress embroidery

A dense flower garland with a silver fringe also covered the groom's face. The newlyweds were also called not by their names, but by their roles in the marriage ceremony: the groom (dulha or naushah) and the bride (dulkhan). In addition to the face and name of the bride, whom it was considered easy to jinx, her weight was also kept secret. At the end of the wedding procession, when the bride went to the groom's house, a heavy stone was placed in her palanquin so that the bearers would not know her true weight and would not blather about it to ill-wishers.
The appearance of a woman, especially in a festive dress, was not so much opened for admiration as hidden, or rather, decorated in such a way as to “darken” her natural features and figure.
Everything visible to the eye appeared changed or half-concealed: the hair was shrouded in a veil; the neck and chest are hidden under massive necklaces and garlands; the outlines of the body were concealed by wide shalvars and kurta; a pattern of henna on the forehead and cheeks changed the complexion; the shape of the eyes was unrecognizable under the thick layer of kajal and antimony; the nose cannot be seen because of the ring or pendant inserted into the nostril; the natural color of the lips and teeth was completely destroyed by black missy powder.
A woman and a man are obliged to love each other if they were united by the sacred bonds of marriage, even if their very acquaintance happened only at a wedding. The Koran instructs a Muslim to perform his marital duty on the night from Thursday to Friday: it was on such a night, according to legend, that the prophet Muhammad was conceived.
Khurram was in his wife's bedroom much more often. He could not part with Mumtaz for a long time. Even knowing that she did not leave the territory of the palace, he always tried to see her more often, to hear her quiet, calm and such a beloved voice.
Shah Jahan had a large harem, as befits an Indian padishah. But he "didn't pay attention to other women while Mumtaz was alive." François Bernier, a French doctor, traveler and philosopher, wrote about this in his travel notes. He noted that the spouses treated each other with respect, tenderness and touching. Mumtaz loved her people and knew that this love is also mutual. She was idolized by ordinary people for her responsiveness and mercy. At her request, lists of widows and orphans living in the state were compiled. Mumtaz personally made sure that they were provided with everything necessary.
She was the intercessor of the people, and to her husband - a wise adviser. He had always valued her judgment above his own. Mumtaz Mahal was as modest as she was beautiful, and her devotion to her husband was legendary. She was never separated from her husband and accompanied him on the most dangerous military campaigns.

Harem room of the fortress palace in Agra

The grief of Shah Jahan, who lost his beloved woman, was boundless. He spent eight days locked up, without food or drink. When the ruler went out to his entourage, they did not recognize him, hunched over and aged. Mumtaz saw this too, but could do nothing to help her beloved. “Allah wished this test for our love,” she thought, flying around the chambers of her husband like a transparent cloud. Shah Jahan declared mourning in the country, banning music, bright clothes and jewelry. Women were also forbidden to use perfumes and incense. Mumtaz considered this superfluous, but she could no longer influence her husband's train of thought. She saw how, during conversations with the ambassadors, sitting on her beloved Peacock Throne, his hand involuntarily reached out to stroke the wonderful birds with emerald eyes, which her tender fingers often touched.
Shah Jahan froze, as if listening, trying to catch the voice of his wife under the arches of the palace, but, no matter how hard she tried, he did not hear her advice anymore. Then the padishah plunged into thoughts and tried to imagine what his main and disinterested adviser would have answered in this or that case.
She remembered the day of her death. Pain tore apart the body, thoughts were confused. Mumtaz Mahal, sensing the approach of death, asked to bring her newborn daughter and call her husband. She handed Jahanar to him and turned to Shah Jahan with two requests: not to marry again and build a mausoleum for her that would be worthy of their great love. Padishah after the death of Mumtaz for a long time could not begin to rule the state, more than once he had the idea to give up the throne. Those close to him tried to dispel Shah Jahan's melancholy, but neither fabulous luxury, nor foreign curiosities, nor trained elephants, nor parades of war cavalry could distract him from sad thoughts.
A lot of time passed before the subordinates saw the model of the mausoleum made of wood, which struck them with the perfection of forms and proportions. Thus Shah Jahan began to carry out his plan. He fulfilled both requests of his dying wife, spending as many years on the construction of the mausoleum as they lived with Mumtaz.
Having taken up the construction of the mausoleum, Shah Jahan perceived this as the main business of his life. Only the ruler's gray hair and hidden sadness in his brown eyes reminded those around him of the grief he experienced. His shoulders straightened again, his energy and efficiency were amazing. When Shah Jahan was asked how he did it, the answer was one: not an hour of idleness.
In 1657, Shah Jahan fell seriously ill. As already mentioned, his son Aurangzeb took advantage of this circumstance. He arrested his father and imprisoned him, still not strong from his illness, in Agra, in the Red Fort, under house arrest. Aurangzeb seized the throne and kept his father locked up for nine years.
It was hard for Shah Jahan to come to terms with the cruelty of his son. His only consolation was that he could see the Taj Mahal from his chambers. He wrote petitions to his son, where he humbly begged him to be buried next to Mumtaz.
Before his death, Shah Jahan was greatly weakened and could not go to the window to contemplate the last refuge of his beloved. He died looking at the reflection of the mausoleum in a tiny concave mirror embedded in the wall. Aurangzeb fulfilled his request by burying him next to Mumtaz Mahal.
After many years, the lovers were together again. There are always fresh flowers on their tombstones. This is a tribute to the memory and admiration of the ever-living Love.

... Tears crying out for love
you desired to give eternal life...
you... caught time in the net of beauty,
and crowned formless death
immortality of form.
The secret you are in the silence of the night
Told in the ear of my beloved,
Keeps the stone
In eternal silence.
...marble still whispers to the stars:

"I remember". Rabindranath Tagore

Pearl of India

Taj Mahal is beautiful at any time of the day. This is a dream and reality, greatness and weightlessness at the same time. It is a mournful requiem and a lofty hymn to great love. Its strict forms are impressive, clear and gentle. In the calm, soft appearance of the Taj Mahal, an unshakable and indestructible strength clearly emerges.
At dawn, its domes and minarets are painted in warm pink tones. During the day, he appears in all the splendor of thin stone lace, sparkling in the sun.

Taj Mahal is one of the most grandiose buildings located on the territory of India. Every year the number of visitors to the majestic mausoleum exceeds 5 million people. Tourists are attracted not only by the beauty of the structure, but also by the beautiful history associated with it. The mausoleum was erected by order of the padishah of the Empire, who wished to tell the whole world about his longing for his dead wife Mumtaz Mahal. What is known about the Taj Mahal, declared the pearl of Muslim art, as well as about the love due to which it was created?

Shah Jahan: Biography of the Padishah

"Lord of the World" - this is the meaning of the name that one of the most famous Mughal kings received from his father, who loved him more than other children. Shah Jahan, the famous creator of the Taj Mahal, was born in 1592, he headed the Mughal Empire at the age of 36, seizing the throne after the death of his father Jahangir and getting rid of his rival brothers. The new padishah quickly declared himself as a resolute and ruthless ruler. Thanks to several military campaigns, he managed to increase the territory of his empire. At the beginning of his reign, he was one of the most powerful men of the 17th century.

Shah Jahan was interested not only in military campaigns. For his time, the padishah was well educated, took care of the development of science and architecture, took care of artists, appreciated beauty in all its manifestations.

Fateful meeting

The legend says that the ruler of the Mughal Empire met his future wife Mumtaz Mahal by chance, it happened while walking through the bazaar. From the crowd of people, his gaze snatched a young maiden holding wooden beads in her hands, whose beauty captivated him. The padishah, who was still the heir to the throne at that time, fell in love so much that he decided to take the girl as his wife.

Mumtaz Mahal, an Armenian by nationality, came from the family of the vizier Abdul Hassan Asaf Khan, who was part of the circle of close associates of Padishah Jahangir. The girl, who at birth was named Arjumand Banu Begam, was the niece of Jahangir's beloved wife Nur-Jahan. Consequently, she could boast not only an attractive appearance, but also a noble origin, so there were no obstacles to the wedding. On the contrary, such a marriage strengthened the position of the heir as a contender for the throne, but he still married for love.

marriage

Jahangir gladly allowed his beloved son to marry the girl he liked Mumtaz Mahal, the nationality of the bride was also not perceived as an obstacle, given the noble origin of her father. The betrothal ceremony took place in 1607, when the bride, born in 1593, was no more than 14 years old. For unknown reasons, the wedding was postponed for 5 years.

It was during the wedding that she received her beautiful name Mumtaz Mahal. The biography of the famous wife of the ruler of the Mughal Empire says that his father-in-law Jahangir, who still ruled at that time, invented it. The name is translated into Russian as “pearl of the palace”, which serves as proof of the extraordinary beauty of the girl.

The spouse of the "pearl", as befits the heir to the throne, had a huge harem. However, not a single concubine managed to win his heart, forcing him to forget about the charming Arjumand. Even during her lifetime, Mumtaz Mahal became the favorite muse of the famous poets of that time, who praised not only her beauty, but also her kind heart. The Armenian woman became a reliable support for her husband, accompanied him even in military campaigns.

Misfortune

Unfortunately, it was Arjumand's devotion that cost her her life. She did not consider pregnancy an obstacle in order to be close to her beloved husband during all his travels. In total, she gave birth to 14 children, which was typical up to that time. The last childbirth turned out to be difficult, the empress, exhausted by a long campaign, was unable to recover from them.

Mumtaz Mahal passed away in 1631, just short of her fortieth birthday. The tragic event took place in a military camp located near Burkhanpur. The emperor was with his beloved wife, with whom he lived together for 19 years, in her last moments. Before leaving this world, the Empress took two promises from her husband. She forced him to swear that he would not remarry, and also to build for her a grandiose mausoleum, the beauty of which the world could enjoy.

Mourning

Shah Jahan could not come to terms with the loss of his beloved wife until the end of his life. For 8 whole days he refused to leave his own chambers, rejected food and forbade talking to him. Legend has it that grief even pushed him to attempt suicide, which, however, ended in failure. By order of the ruler of the Mughal Empire, mourning in the state continued for two years. During these years, the population did not celebrate holidays, music and dances were banned.

The famous padishah found some consolation for himself in the fulfillment of Arjumand's dying will. He really refused to marry again, he finally lost interest in his huge harem. By his order, the construction of the mausoleum began, which today is one of the most magnificent buildings in the world.

Location of the Taj Mahal

What city is the Taj Mahal in? The city of Agra, located approximately 250 km from Delhi, was chosen for the construction of the mausoleum. The padishah decided that the tribute to the memory of his beloved wife would be located on the coast of the Jumna River. He was attracted by the beauty of this place. This choice gave the builders certain inconveniences associated with the instability of the soil located next to the water.

A unique technology that has not been used anywhere before helped to solve the problem. An example of its application in modern construction is the use of piles in the construction of skyscrapers in the UAE.

Construction

Six months after the death of Mumtaz Mahal, the inconsolable husband ordered the construction of the mausoleum to begin. The construction of the Taj Mahal took a total of 12 years, construction work began in 1632. Historians are unanimous that no building in the world has required such costs as this one. The fulfillment of the will of the deceased wife, according to the palace chronicles, cost the padishah approximately 32 million rupees, today it is several billion euros.

Shah Jahan made sure that the builders did not save on materials. The cladding of the building was made using the purest marble, which was supplied from the province of Rajasthan. It is interesting that, according to the decree of the ruler of the Mughal Empire, the use of this marble for other purposes was banned.

The cost of building the Taj Mahal was so significant that a famine broke out in the state. The grain that was supposed to be sent to the provinces ended up at the construction site, used to feed the workers. Work ended only in 1643.

Secrets of the Taj Mahal

The majestic Taj Mahal gave immortality to the king and his beautiful beloved Mumtaz Mahal. The story of the ruler's love for his wife is told to all visitors to the mausoleum. Interest in the building cannot be surprising, because it has amazing beauty.

The builders were able to make the Taj Mahal unique thanks to the optical illusions that were used in the design of the mausoleum. You can enter the territory of the complex only after passing the arch of the entrance gate, only then the building opens before the eyes of the guests. To a person who approaches the arch, it may seem that the mausoleum is decreasing, moving away. The opposite effect is created when moving away from the arch. Thus, it may seem to every visitor that he is taking the grandiose Taj Mahal with him.

A cunning technique was also used to create the striking minarets of the building, which seem to be located strictly vertically. In reality, these elements are slightly deviated from the building. This decision helps to save the Taj Mahal from destruction as a result of an earthquake. By the way, the height of the minarets is 42 meters, and the height of the mausoleum as a whole is 74 meters.

For the decoration of the walls, as already mentioned, snow-white shining under the influence of sunlight was used. Malachite, pearls, corals, carnelian served as decorative elements; the elegance of the carving makes an indelible impression.

Burial place of Mumtaz Mahal

Many people who are interested in history and architecture know in which city the Taj Mahal is located. However, not everyone knows exactly where the burial place of the Empress is located. Her tomb is not at all under the main dome of the building erected in her honor. In fact, the burial place of the ruler of the Empire of the Great Mongols is a secret marble hall, for which a plot was allocated under the mausoleum.

The tomb of Mumtaz Mahal was located in a secret room for a reason. This decision was made so that visitors do not disturb the peace of the “pearl of the palace”.

End of story

Having lost his beloved wife, Shah Jahan practically lost interest in power, no longer undertook large-scale military campaigns, and had little interest in state affairs. The empire weakened, mired in the abyss of the economic crisis, riots began to break out everywhere. It is not surprising that his son and heir Aurangzeb found loyal supporters who supported him in an attempt to take power away from his father and crack down on his pretender brothers. The old emperor was imprisoned in a fortress, in which he was forced to spend the last years of his life. Shah Jahan left this world in 1666, being a lonely and sick old man. The son ordered to bury his father next to his beloved wife.

The last wish of the emperor remained unfulfilled. He dreamed of building another mausoleum opposite the Taj Mahal, exactly repeating its shape, but finished with black marble. He planned to turn this building into his own tomb, connecting it with the burial place of his wife was supposed to be a black and white openwork bridge. However, the plans were not destined to come true, the son Aurangzeb, who came to power, ordered the construction work to be stopped. Fortunately, the emperor still managed to fulfill the will of his beloved woman and build the Taj Mahal.

Quote from TimOlya

Taj Mahal is a symbol of eternal love.

Edwin Lord Weeks (1849 - 1903) was an American painter.

Taj Mahal- the mausoleum-mosque in Agra, is one of the masterpieces of world architecture, located in the north of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Shah Jahan, the ruler of these places, ordered the construction of the Taj Mahal in honor of his wife Arjumand Banu, thus marking 18 years of a happy marriage and her death at the birth of their fourteenth child. As a sign of his love and in memory of his beautiful wife, the shah ordered the construction of the most magnificent mausoleum in the world.

Mumtaz Mahal (April 6, 1593, Agra - June 17, 1631) - nee Arjumanad Banu Begam, beloved wife of the ruler of the Mughal Empire Shah Jahan.

Rabindranath Tagore described the Taj Mahal as "a tear on the cheek of immortality" Rudyard Kipling - how "the personification of everything immaculate", and its creator Emperor Shah Jahan said that "the sun and moon shed tears from their eyes". Every year, tourists twice the size of Agra's population pass through the gates of the city for once in their lives to see the building, rightfully called by many the most beautiful in the world. Few leave disappointed.

Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan

This is truly a monument, beautiful in all seasons. There are those who love the view of the Taj Mahal on Sharad Purnima, the first full moon after the monsoons, on a cloudless October evening when the light is at its clearest and most romantic. Others like to look at it in the midst of the heaviest rains, when the marble becomes translucent and its reflection in the canals of the gardens surrounding the mausoleum is washed out in the rippling water. But it makes a fascinating impression at any time of the year and at any moment of the day. At dawn, its color changes from milky to silvery and pink, and at sunset it looks like it was made of gold. Look at it also in the glare of noon, when it is blindingly white.

Taj Mahal, Vasily Vereshchagin -

Story

The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to his 14th child in 1631. Mumtaz's death broke the Emperor's heart. It is said that he turned gray overnight. Construction of the Taj Mahal began the following year. It is believed that the main building was built in 8 years, but the entire complex was completed only in 1653. Shortly before the completion of construction, Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in the Agra Fort, where he spent the remaining days looking at his creation through the dungeon window. After his death, in 1666, Shah Jahan was buried here, next to Mumtaz.

Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan

In total, about 20,000 people from India and Central Asia were employed in the construction. Experts were brought in from Europe to make beautifully carved marble panels and decorate them in the style of pietra dura (inlaid with thousands of semi-precious stones).

Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan

In 1983, the Taj Mahal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and today looks as immaculate as it was after construction was completed, although a large-scale restoration was carried out at the beginning of the 20th century. In 2002, as the building gradually lost its color due to the severe pollution of the city, it was refreshed using an ancient recipe for a cosmetic face mask used by Indian women to preserve the beauty of the skin. This mask is called multani mitti - a mixture of earth, cereals, milk and lemon. Now, within a few hundred meters around the building, it is allowed to drive only on environmentally friendly vehicles.

Taj Mahal, Vasily Vereshchagin

Architecture

It is not known exactly who exactly was the architect of the Taj Mahal, but the honor of its creation is often attributed to an Indian architect of Persian origin named Ustad Ahmad Lahori. Construction began in 1630. The best masons, artisans, sculptors and calligraphers were invited from Persia, the Ottoman Empire and European countries. The complex, located on the southwestern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, consists of five main buildings: these are the darvaza, or main gate; bageecha, or garden; masjid, or mosque; the nakkar zana, or rest house, and the rauza, the mausoleum itself, where the tomb is located.

Panorama of the Taj Mahal

The unique style of the Taj Mahal combines elements of Persian, Central Asian and Islamic architecture. Among the attractions of the complex - a marble floor in a black and white checkerboard pattern, four 40-meter minarets at the corners of the mausoleum and a majestic dome in the center.

Persian calligraphy

Flowers carved in marble

Surahs from the Qur'an written around arched openings appear to be the same size no matter how far from the floor they are - an optical illusion created by using larger font and letter spacing as the height of the inscription increases. There are other optical illusions in the Taj Mahal mausoleum. The imposing pietra dura decorations include geometric elements, as well as images of plants and flowers, traditional in Islamic architecture. The level of craftsmanship and the complexity of the work on the monument become clear when you start to look at small details: for example, in some places more than 50 precious inlays are used on one decorative element measuring 3 cm.

Arched vault

The gate to the gardens of the mausoleum can be admired as a masterpiece in its own right, with graceful marble arches, domed chambers on four corner towers and two rows of 11 small chattris (umbrella domes) just above the entrance. They are the perfect frame for a first look at the whole ensemble.

Gateway to the Taj Mahal

View of the Taj Mahal through the arch

Char-Bagh (four gardens) is an integral part of the Taj Mahal, spiritually symbolizing paradise, where Mumtaz Mahal ascended, and artistically emphasizing the color and texture of the mausoleum. The dark cypress trees enhance the brilliance of the marble, and the canals (on those rare occasions when they are full) converging on a wide central viewing platform, not only give a beautiful second image of the monument, but, because they reflect the sky, add a soft light at dawn and sunset. illumination from below.

Char Bagh Garden

Unfortunately, the vandals stole all the treasures of the tomb, but still the delicate beauty of roses and poppies was preserved in richly inlaid slabs of onyx, green chrysolite, carnelian and agate of various colors.

On either side of the mausoleum are two almost identical buildings: to the west is a mosque, to the east is a building that may have served as a pavilion for guests, although its main purpose was to ensure complete symmetry of the entire architectural ensemble. Each of them looks great - try to look at the pavilion at sunrise, and at the mosque at sunset. Exit also to the back of the Taj Mahal, to the terrace, from where you can see the Jumna River all the way to the Agra Fort. At dawn, the best (and cheapest) vantage point is on the opposite bank of the river, where, according to a popular (but probably unreliable) legend, Shah Jahan planned to erect a stark black marble mirror to reflect the Taj Mahal. A string of boats lined up along the shore, ready to transport tourists across the river.

Mosque

Inside the mosque

The Taj Mahal itself stands on a raised marble platform at the north end of the ornamental gardens, with its back facing the Yamuna River. The elevated position means that "only the sky is higher" - this is an elegant move by the designers. Decorative 40-meter white minarets adorn the building from all four corners of the platform. After more than three centuries, they leaned slightly, but perhaps it was specially conceived (installation at a slight angle from the building) so that in the event of an earthquake they would fall not on the Taj Mahal, but away from it. The red sandstone mosque on the west side is an important temple for the Muslims of Agra.

Minaret

Top of the Taj Mahal

The mausoleum of the Taj Mahal was erected from translucent white marble blocks, on which flowers are carved and a mosaic of thousands of semi-precious stones is laid out. This is an excellent example of symmetry - four identical sides of the Taj with magnificent arches, decorated with carved scrollwork in the style of pietra dura and citations from the Koran, carved in calligraphic script and decorated with jasper. The whole structure is crowned by four small domes surrounding the famous central bulbous dome.

Cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal

Just below the main dome is the Mumtaz Mahal cenotaph, a (false) tombstone of fine workmanship surrounded by perforated marble slabs adorned with dozens of different semi-precious stones. The cenotaph of Shah Jahan, who was buried by his overthrown son Aurangzeb in 1666, was also installed here, breaking the symmetry. Light penetrates into the central room through carved marble screens. The real graves of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are in a closed room on the ground floor under the main hall. They cannot be seen.

Mosaics of the Taj Mahal

Requiem in marble

Mahal means "palace," but in this case, Taj Mahal is a diminutive of Mumtaz Mahal ("jewel of the palace"), which was given to Shah Jahan's cousin when she married him. The daughter of his mother's brother, she was his constant companion long before he received the throne, and later she was the first lady among hundreds of others in his harem. During 19 years of marriage, she bore him 14 children and died in childbirth of the last child in 1631.

Legend has it that Shah Jahan's beard - he was 39 years old, only a year older than his wife - turned white virtually overnight after her death, and he continued to mourn for several years, dressing in white on each anniversary of her death. The construction of the Taj Mahal took him twelve years of tireless work with a Persian architect and craftsmen brought from Baghdad, Italy and France, a period that can be considered the highest expression of his grief. “The Empire has no sweetness for me now,” he wrote. “Life itself has lost all taste for me.”

Taj Mahal - a symbol of eternal love

Myths about the Taj Mahal

Taj - Hindu temple

A popular theory is that the Taj was actually a Shiva temple built in the 12th century. and was later transformed into the famous Mumtaz Mahal mausoleum, owned by Purushottam Nagesh Oak. He asked for the Taj's sealed basement rooms to be opened to prove his theory, but in 2000 the Supreme Court of India rejected his request. Purushottam Nagesh also states that the Kaaba, Stonehenge and the papacy are also of Hindu origin.

Black Taj Mahal

This is the story that Shah Jahan planned to build a twin Taj Mahal of black marble on the opposite side of the river as his own mausoleum, and this work was started by his son Aurangzeb after he imprisoned his father in the fortress of Agra. Intensive excavations in the Mehtab Bagh area have not confirmed this assumption. No traces of construction have been found.

Dismemberment of the masters

Legend says that after the completion of the construction of the Taj, Shah Jahan ordered the masters to cut off the hands and gouge out the eyes of the masters so that they could never repeat it again. Fortunately, this story has not found any historical confirmation.

Settling Taj Mahal

Some experts claim that, according to some reports, the Taj Mahal is slowly leaning towards the riverbed and this is due to changes in the soil due to the gradual drying of the Yamuna River. The Archaeological Survey of India declared the existing changes in the height of the building minor, adding that no structural changes or damage had been found in the 70 years since the first scientific survey of the Taj Mahal, carried out in 1941.

Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

They met in the spring of 1607. A young man named Mohammed Khurram recently turned fifteen. A girl named Arjumand Banu Begum was only a few months younger than him. He was a prince from the Mughal dynasty, she is his close relative, born and raised in a harem.

The Mughal chronicles claim that Muhammad Khurram and Arjumand Banu fell in love at first sight and forever. Well, sometimes it happens… True, it is surprising that the story of this love took place in the 17th century, in the Mughal Empire, where the religion was Islam, which allowed the ruler to have four wives and as many concubines as he wanted.

Muhammad Khurram wanted to marry the chosen one of his heart, but resigned himself when his father explained to him that the prince from the Mughal dynasty should take his first wife, observing political gain, and only then he could marry for love. He and Arjumand Banu had to wait five years to get married.

Muhammad Khurram and Arjumand Banu Begum were married on March 27, 1612. This day was chosen as the most favorable by court astrologers.

By that time, the prince already had two wives. Both of them were married to him on the basis of political benefits, and both of them had already managed to give birth to children for him. In history, they remained under the names Akrabadi Mahal and Kandagari Mahal (Treasure of Akrabad and Treasure of Kandahar). As soon as Muhammad Khurram got his beloved Arjumand Bana, he stopped being interested in all other women.

The description of how Arjumand Banu Begum was preparing for the wedding has a bewitching effect even on women living in the 21st century. One bath took two hours, and instead of soap, three bowls with various cleansing oils and four basins with decoctions of medicinal herbs were used. She was washed four times, rubbing it with coconut oil, then with chickpea flour, then with red water, which was obtained by soaking forty types of tree bark. They rubbed it with saffron, trying not to get it on the hair, because they believed that saffron could slow down their growth. Finally, they washed it again with water with rose petals and dried it with a sponge. After all these actions, the bride's skin acquired a golden hue and the tenderness of silk. The hair was also washed four times, and then dried over coals, on which aromatic substances were laid out, so that the beauty's braid would be fragrant.

Shah Jahan. book illustration

It took another two hours to put on the wedding attire and make-up, and the help of many maids!

The bride was supposed to have so many gold jewelry that Arjumand Banu Begum could hardly move under their weight.

But the perfection of her face eclipsed the sparkle of precious stones. And the beauty of her soul overshadowed the beauty of her face ...

The court chronicler Motamid Khan recorded that the third wife of Muhammad Khurram "stands out in appearance and character among all other women." For her incomparable beauty and countless virtues, she was nicknamed Mumtaz Mahal Begum - "The Decoration of the Palace" - and her former name was forgotten as unworthy.

Astrologers did not deceive: apparently, the time for the wedding was really chosen ideally, because the whole life together of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal was ideal. Every year Muhammad Khurram fell in love with Mumtaz Mahal Begum more and more. Such closeness between spouses was rare in Persian culture, and therefore aroused admiration and amazement in equal measure. He had no concubines. He didn't want any other women. Only Mumtaz Mahal. The chronicler Motamid Khan wrote that the prince's relationship with his first and second wives "became nothing more than a semblance of marriage. The intimacy, deep affection, attention and care with which His Majesty surrounded the Best Decoration of the Palace was a thousand times greater than those with which he honored his other wives.

Mumtaz Mahal. book illustration

During nineteen years of marriage, Mumtaz Mahal gave birth to fourteen children, seven of whom died in infancy. But infant mortality in those days was high both in the East and in Europe and did not spare either huts or palaces. So the death of several children, provided that the heirs remained in the family, was perceived as inevitable, and not as a tragedy. Pregnancy did not prevent Mumtaz Mahal from accompanying Muhammad Khurram in all his military campaigns. Her tent always stood next to her husband's tent. And when Muhammad Khurram had the opportunity, he always visited his wife to spend at least a few hours in her company.

In 1627 Muhammad Khurram Shah Jahan ascended the throne. His reign was truly a golden age for the Mughal Empire. He not only waged wars of conquest, constantly expanding the territory, but above all, he built magnificent cities, the most beautiful of which was Shahjahanabad. Now it is called Old Delhi. And in the 17th century it was a new, beautiful city, where Shah Jahan moved the capital from ancient Agra.

For less than four years, Mumtaz Mahal shared with Shah Jahan his power over the Mughal empire. She still traveled with Shah Jahan throughout the country. During the war with the Rajas of the Deccan, Mumtaz Mahal was again pregnant. There was a battle, and it was time for her to give birth. Mumtah Mahal gave birth to a boy in a camp tent, and she herself died in the arms of her inconsolable husband.

After the death of his wife, Shah Jahan was obsessed with only one idea: to build a mausoleum worthy of Mumtaz Mahal. This is how the Taj Mahal was created, which is still the main attraction of India.

From the book of 100 great necropolises author Ionina Nadezhda

TAJ MAHAL On the banks of the Jamna River, two kilometers from the Indian city of Agra, the Taj Mahal mausoleum rises, erected in memory of the tender love of Padishah Shah Jahan, the ruler of the Mughal dynasty, for his beautiful wife Mumtaz (nee Arjumanad Banu

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (TA) of the author TSB

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (ShA) of the author TSB

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What is the Taj Mahal? The Taj Mahal Palace is a monument to a love story, sad and beautiful at the same time. Three centuries ago, a ruler named Shah Yahan lived in India. His beloved wife was the beautiful and intelligent Mumtazi Mahal, whom Shah Yahan loved more than life itself. Her short name

Legend has it that at the age of 15, the soon-to-be "king of the world" prince saw 14-year-old Arjumanad Banu Begam (the future Mumtaz Mahal) for the first time in an oriental bazaar that unfolded near the Royal Palace. Someone believes that the beauty was a poor girl, but in fact the “moon-faced maiden” was of noble origin, being the daughter of the chief minister of the kingdom. The wait for the wedding took a long five years, the ceremony was postponed for a number of reasons.

Firstly, Prince Khurram (real name of Shah Jahan) was intended to marry a Persian princess, well, and secondly, it was customary to perform marriages at court according to the astrological forecast, and the auspicious date came only in 1612. Since Islam allowed polygamy, there were no obstacles to marriage between Arjumanad and Khurramam, it only remained to wait. For five whole years, the lovers could not see each other, but the youthful feeling only grew stronger, as a result, the wedding took place. At the wedding, the groom's father, Emperor Jahangir, "renamed" his daughter-in-law Arjumand Banu. The fact is that, according to the traditions of the Moghuls, representatives of the royal family received a new name after their marriage or other important moments of life, which was later used publicly. Thus, Mumtaz Mahal was “born” (meaning of the name: “Decoration of the Palace”).

By the way, in 1612 Khurram had not yet ascended the throne, the coronation would happen much later, in 1628. In fact, the prince had little chance of taking over the reins from his father, because he was not the eldest among the numerous offspring of the Mughal ruler Jahanjir. However, the emperor always singled out Khuramma among other children and even called him Shah Jahan, which in translation meant "Lord of the World." Prince Khurram enjoyed well-deserved love at court, because he was not only educated and well versed in art, but also contributed a lot to strengthening the empire, winning numerous victories in military campaigns.

It is believed that chance led to the throne of Khurram. However, historians suggest that the treacherous prince staged the death of his elder brother and was able to ascend the throne, replacing the old and sick Jahanjir. All this time, the devoted wife Mumtaz Mahal was a faithful companion and companion of her husband, accompanied the prince on military campaigns, and helped with advice in state affairs. Contemporaries claim that Shah Jahan did not pay any attention to the other wives and concubines while his wife was alive. Mumtaz was not only a good wife, but also mother to Jahan's 13 children. Despite the frequent childbirth and the hardships of camp life, the faithful wife was always next to her ruler.

So, only in 1628 Shah Jahan became the Emperor of a huge kingdom. Historians note that his reign brought great benefits to the state. During this period, the Mughal empire grew stronger and richer, and the main principle characterizing the policy of Jahan's reign was the phrase: "If there is a paradise on Earth, then it is here."

However, an ancient oriental proverb says "The sweetness of pleasure does not happen without bitterness ..." Three years later, after ascending the throne, Khurram was forced to set off on a new military campaign, this time the path lay in Burhanpur in order to crush the uprising and restore order in the rebellious province. Mumtaz Mahal, as usual, decided to follow her husband, despite the fact that she was on demolitions.

It was in Burhanpur that the queen gave birth to her 14th child, a few days after the birth, the weakened woman died. The reason for this was an infection that the woman’s body, weakened from frequent pregnancies, could not cope with. At that time, Mumtaz was only 36 years old.

The legend says that the heartbroken Shah Jahan swore to his dying wife that he would create for her a mausoleum of unprecedented beauty that would immortalize their love for centuries. The ruler kept his word - after the death of his wife, the only concern and joy for him was the construction of the tomb.

Initially, the grave of Mumtaz was located in Burhanpur, and only after some time the remains were taken to Agra and buried near the fast river Yamuna. At the burial site, the construction of the mausoleum began, which lasted about 22 years.

The construction of the tomb was completed in 1648 (although it is possible that finishing work continued until 1652) and cost the ruler 32 million rupees. Judging by the written sources that have come down to us, the chief architect of the Taj Mahal was a certain Ustad-Isa, the most famous Agrian architect of that time. In addition to him, many craftsmen from Delhi, Lahore, Multan, as well as from Baghdad, Shiraz and Bukhara were involved in the construction. In total, at least twenty thousand people worked on the Taj Mahal. There is an opinion that architects and artists from Italy and France were also involved in the construction, but the architecture of the Taj Mahal most clearly shows the continuity of the monumental ancient Indian art in combination with elements of the medieval architecture of Iran and Central Asia.

It is believed that even Shah Jahan could have had a hand in the construction of the tomb, at least the very idea, the concept of the building definitely belongs to him. The emperor had a deep knowledge of art and was a good artist, besides, he was inspired to create the Taj Mahal by a huge, all-consuming love for Mumtaz. Shah Jahan embodied in the mausoleum his vision of the world, a harmonious, elegant and pure world. The Taj Mahal has become not only the material embodiment of love, but also a symbol of a great era.

It should be noted that the tomb of Mumtaz was built in the strict canons of Islamic architecture, therefore it has a certain similarity with a mosque. This is indicated by: minarets, domes, lancet sloping arches, Arabic script and floral ornaments on the walls and facade of the building. The Taj Mahal is built on a square platform (186 by 186 feet) with four truncated corners. Thus, the mausoleum has the shape of an irregular octagon.

As mentioned above, when creating the Taj Mahal, a whimsical Arabic style was used, in which each element is unique, and at the same time fits perfectly into the overall architectural composition. In addition, all buildings of the complex are subject to strict symmetry. The main material for construction is white marble, it was delivered on special carts from a deposit located 320 km away. from Agra.

The central dome of the mausoleum is 58 feet in diameter and rises 213 feet (74 meters) high. It is surrounded by four smaller domes, and a little further there are four graceful thin minarets, which, like sentries, guard the chambers of Mumtaz from intruders. It is noteworthy that the towers were erected at an angle, they are slightly tilted back - this is not a flaw in the design at all, but a well-thought-out detail. This position of the minarets would save the tomb from destruction during an earthquake. By the way, isn't it a miracle that the Taj Mahal has never been severely damaged due to the strong tremors that are so frequent in this seismically active zone?
The entire surface of the Taj Mahal (both inside and outside) is decorated with carvings and inlaid with semi-precious stones such as agate, jasper, turquoise, malachite, carnelian. And above each arch leading to the tomb, quotes from Korn are carved, whose intricate swirling patterns add even more charm to the tomb. In addition, most of the walls and panels inside the mausoleum are decorated with intricate Muslim ornaments.

In the center of the mausoleum, lie the remains of the Empress and Shah Jahan. Cenotaphs (false tombs) are surrounded by a marble fence, which is skillfully decorated with openwork ornaments and gems. In those tombs that are located in the burial chamber, in fact, there are no bodies, they are buried in crypts below them. Being inside the tomb, it is so easy to imagine how the once heartbroken ruler shed tears over the grave of his wife. And in those distant times, the rays of the sun, just as now, illuminated the sarcophagus of Mumtaz, and the outgoing light caressed the face and hands of the grieving husband, like the gentle touch of the fingers of his beloved princess. Only the voice of the mullah, reading suras from the Koran, resoundingly echoing, cut through the silence, peace and quiet, who found here the last refuge of the “lunalic virgin” ....

The mausoleum of the Taj Mahal is part of a huge complex consisting of the main gate leading to a magnificent, artfully laid out garden. This also includes a mosque, a guest house (reception hall) and several other luxurious buildings. The mosque, built of red sandstone, also attracts the attention of pilgrims and tourists. Particularly interesting are the beautiful gates, decorated with 22 domes, symbolizing the number of years spent on the construction of the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal stands at the very end of this complex, on the banks of the Yamuna River. At present, it has lost some of its former splendor - the vandals did not spare this masterpiece of architecture either. So, during one of the raids of the enemy, the silver gate was stolen, the pearl cover, which was used to remove the Mumtaz cenotaph, disappeared forever, some of the gems were hollowed out from the facade of the building and the inner walls ... However, the Indian government is trying to maintain the monument in decent condition. Also, this object is included in the list of cultural and historical values ​​of the world and is protected by UNESCO. It is interesting that an old Indian cosmetic product based on lime and milk is still used for the restoration of walls. This "mask" is applied to the marble walls of the building, which allows them to be bleached and cleaned of impurities.
A worthy frame for the Taj Mahal is a magnificent park that has a clear layout. Perhaps it was here that invited European masters applied their skills. In the center of a huge garden is a swimming pool that divides the complex into four parts, which, in turn, are also divided into equal sections. The entire complex is divided into two halves by an irrigation canal that stretches across the entire territory of the garden. Tiled paths lead to the minarets of the Taj Mahal.

Thus, the garden repeats the whimsical style of the Taj Mahal itself, where every detail is unusual and harmonious, but at the same time obeys the general symmetry.

The pearl of India - the Taj Mahal ... Now, after many centuries, it still remains beautiful. During the day, milky white marble walls catch the rays of the bright sun and seem to radiate light themselves, at night the mausoleum exudes a purple glow, and in the early morning it already has a pink, like mother-of-pearl color. The mausoleum is reflected in the calm waters of the Yamuna River, mysteriously shines in the morning mist, and from afar, it seems that the Taj Mahal is hovering above the earth, rushing up to heaven. The poet Rabindranath Tagore said about the Taj Mahal: "Let the splendor of a diamond, ruby, pearl disappear like a magical shimmer from a rainbow, just let one tear - the Taj Mahal shine brightly on the cheek of time ...".