Located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, the heritage listed Taj Mahal is every bit the majestic marvel, that was brought to life in the face of a loved one's passing. Both Mahal and Jahan are buried in a non-decorative plain crypt within an inner-chamber, as Islam forbids grave decorations.
Construction began in 1631, the Taj Mahal was based on the architectural styles of Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian elements, using a team of professionals and a labour force of over 20,000 workers sourced from different regions of Northern India. Construction of the mausoleum, buildings and gardens were completed in 1653.
Teams of professionals included roles such as: architects, masons, sculptors, calligraphers, inlayers and builders. A special mention to Muhammad Hanif - a supervisor of the masons.
To transport the marble, a fifteen kilometre tamped-earth ramp was built as the primary mode. There were teams of oxen around 20 or 30, used to pull the blocks of marble. In order to raise the blocks for a desired placement, an "elaborate post-and-beam pulley system" was used. Over 1,000 elephants were also utilised to transport building materials from all over India and Asia.
The translucent white marble was brought in from Makrana, Rajasthan, jasper (black marble) from Punjab, jade and crystal from China, turquoise from Tibet, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, sapphire from Sri Lanka and carnelian from Arabia. Together, twenty-eight types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white marble of the Taj Mahal.
In 2013, what strikes me as amazing is a man's interpretation of love and the magnitude of such a construction project, without the modern technologies that we have today! The Taj Mahal is essential in construction history and an influential building that marvels the team here at Granite Planet.
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal
