Tabassum Blog 1

 The Taj Mahal is a white marble Mausoleum located on the southern bank of Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 to house the tomb of his favorite wife of three, Mumtaz Mahal. Construction of this mausoleum was originally completed in 1643 but work on other phases of the project took an additional ten years, completed at 1653. The Mausoleum is 57 m (190 ft) square in plan. The central inner dome is 24.5 m (81 ft) high and 17.7 m (58 ft) in diameter, but is surmounted by an outer shell nearly 61 m (200 ft) in height. The tomb, raised on a terrace and first seen reflected in the central canal, is entirely sheathed in marble, but the mosque and counter-mosque on the transverse axis are built in red sandstone. The four minarets, set symmetrically about the tomb, are scaled down to heighten the effect of the dominant, slightly bulbous dome. The mosques, built only to balance the composition are set sufficiently far away to do no more than frame the mausoleum. Basically the whole riverside platform is a mosque courtyard with a tomb at its center. The great entrance gate with its domed central chamber, set at the end of the long watercourse, would in any other setting be monumental in its own right. The Mausoleum stands in a formally laid-out walled garden entered through a pavilion on the main axis. Out of the total area of 580 meter by 300 meter, the garden alone covers 300 meter by 300 meter. The raised pathways divide each of the four quarters into 16 flowerbeds with around 400 plants in each bed. The Islamic style architecture of this garden also has a well defined meaning that symbolizes spirituality and according to the Holy Qur'an, the lush green, well watered is a symbol of Paradise in Islam. When I visited this building I was thrilled and amazed by the beautiful architecture of the Mughal Empire. Out of all the wonders of the world this monument is a true definition of love for someone. It inspires me that as a human you can love someone to that extent that you will do anything for them.