It is 1631 in Burhanpur, and Mumtaz Mahal, beloved wife of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, is giving birth to her 14th child. A healthy girl is born, but not without difficulty. Shah Jahan rushes to Mumtaz, but he cannot save him.
Weeping uncontrollably, the emperor decided to build a mausoleum worthy of his queen: an earthly replica of heaven that would embody their perfect love and forever represent the might of the Mughal Empire.
Construction of the Taj Mahal began about seven months later.
Royal architects worked to bring to life Shahjahan's vision that the emperor had chosen for the bustling royal city of Agra.
The banks of the Yamuna river were already dotted with magnificent residences, gardens and tombs. But when completed, the Taj Mahal will be the most magnificent structure.
Apart from accommodation in Mumtaz's mausoleum,
the projects included a garden, mosque, bazaar and several caravanserais for visiting traders and diplomats.
Together, the complex would seamlessly blend Persian, Islamic, Indian, and European styles, establishing the Taj Mahal as the culmination of Mughal architectural achievements.
The entire compound was laid out on a geometric grid, with carefully planned bilateral symmetry. To further establish an atmosphere of balance and harmony, the architects divided the complex into two sectors, representing the spiritual and earthly domains.
Most of the structures were made of brick and red sandstone, with white marble accents. It was a common motif in Mughal architecture, inspired by ancient Indian traditions that associated white with spiritual purity and red with warriors and royalty.
But the central shrine took more inspiration from Islamic tradition. The four-towered structure was completely clad in white marble quarried 400 kilometers away.
Its central dome towers above the skyline,
and those inside the cavernous chamber experience an otherworldly echo for about 30 seconds.
In the Italian stonework technique, Pietra dura, artisans created intricate floral designs using all kinds of semi-precious stones that represent the eternal gardens of paradise.
Calligraphers covered the walls with Quranic inscriptions. And since the Islamic depiction of heaven has eight gates, the mausoleum's rooms were octagonal in design.
The garden in front of the shrine was divided into four sections in the Persian style, but its flora reflected the nomadic Central Asian heritage of the Mughals.
Flowers and trees were carefully selected to add color,
sweet fragrance and fresh fruits sold in the market. Architects created interconnecting paths, ponds and waterways through lush greenery.
Even before its completion, Shah Jahan used the Taj to host an annual commemoration of Mumtaz's death, celebrating his reunion with the divine. Directly across the river, Shah Jahan built another sprawling garden with a central pool that perfectly mirrored the shrine.
The complex complex took 12 years to build and employed thousands of skilled artisans and craftsmen, from masons and bricklayers to experts in pietra dura and calligraphers.
After the Taj was completed in 1643,
Shah Jahan retained some of these craftsmen for routine repairs, and hired Quran reciters, watchmen and other staff to maintain the complex.
He repaid these workers by establishing an extensive stipend for the crown—a system that lasted until the early 19th century. Since its completion, the grand monument of Shah Jahan has attracted tourists from all over the world.
And every time a visitor marvels at the shrine, the emperor's purpose is achieved anew. Unfortunately, 15 years into Mumtaz's monumental presidency, Shah Jahan fell ill and a succession war broke out between his sons.
When Shah Jahan finally recovered,
his son Aurangzeb had already emerged as the new emperor. For the last eight years of his life, Shah Jahan was confined in the Agra fort, where he could see the glitter of the crown from afar.
When he died in 1666, he was buried next to Mumtaz, his tomb breaking the harmony of the complex, so that his wife could forever remain at the center of the crown.
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