The Taj Mahal was built in India in the city of Agra. This mausoleum-mosque is located on the banks of the Jamna River, the longest tributary of the Ganges. Taj Mahal recognized one of the 7 wonders of the world, which seriously distinguishes it from the general background of attractions on our planet. In 1983, the architectural monument was recognized as one of the objects under UNESCO protection. Many people go to India precisely to see the mausoleum, because it is known even to people who are far from architecture.

Taj Mahal: a love story

Taj Mahal is called a monument eternal love. And that's why. The mosque was built by order of the ruler Shah Jahan, who wished immortalize the image of your wife, whose name was Mumtaz Mahal (short name - Taj Mahal, translated meaning “Pride of the Palace”). She died giving birth to her 14th child, which plunged the padishah into such grief that he decided to give up the throne. A more prosaic version indicates that Shah Jahan was simply overthrown, but this is not so important, because the value of the creation erected on his orders is not diminished by this.

There is another legend of the Taj Mahal that this architectural monument was supposed to have "double", just not white, but black color. Excavations did not confirm this assumption. The dark marble found was actually white. Its color has simply changed over time. Most likely, a second similar mausoleum was planned, because the ruler loved symmetry. The padishah did not have time to do this, since his son overthrew him. They say that Until the end of his days, Shah Jahan admired the mosque from prison.

That is why there are not one, but two graves in the Taj Mahal - the inconsolable ruler and his beloved. By the way, their bodies were not buried in tombs, but strictly under them, underground.

Who built the Taj Mahal?

Construction of the mausoleum began in 1632. Participated in this process more than 22,000 craftsmen, who were collected from all over the empire. Won the competition for the best project Usto Isa Khan Effendi. It was his sketches that formed the basis of the Taj Mahal. ABOUT future fate The builders are legendary. In particular, there is a legend that says that they were all executed upon completion of the work.


The site on which it is built used to belong to the Maharaja of Jai Sigh. The padishah liked the land so much that he exchanged it with his subject for a palace in the middle of Agra. The ground was completely dug up. The level of the site on which the mosque was built was raised by 50 meters. The foundation was created in a special way so that the Taj Mahal had a truly reliable foundation. The platform on which the building stands is made of marble blocks. Its area is 29 m2.

The construction of the Taj Mahal was accompanied by the use of innovative construction techniques, which makes this architectural monument even more significant. An example is a scaffold made of bricks (usually bamboo was used as a material for this structure).

It took more than 20 years to create the masterpiece mausoleum. Construction was carried out in stages. First there were tombs and a platform, and then - minarets, a mosque, etc. More than 1000 elephants were used to transport materials.

Our days

Every day the Taj Mahal is visited by many thousands of tourists. It is not only a heritage of world culture, but also symbol of India. People from all over the world come to the city with the Taj Mahal mausoleum.


Despite the careful attitude, a serious problem has recently emerged. Cracks were found on the walls of the building. This is explained by the fact that the river flowing nearby becomes shallower. This leads to a change in the soil structure. Taj Mahal settles, which leads to the formation of unpleasant cracks.

In addition, his white marble turns yellow over the years. The reason is too dirty air. Even the ban on cars near the mausoleum and the ever-expanding park area do not help. Because of this he periodically cleaned with white clay.

On Fridays, the palace exposition is closed for viewing, as on this day Muslims pray in the Taj Mahal mosque.

Photo gallery of Taj Mahal







Instead of a conclusion

Concluding the story about the Taj Mahal, I would like to note once again that it is difficult to describe. Such buildings need to be seen. Any witness to his greatness experiences a feeling that is difficult to describe in words. That is why visiting the mausoleum-mosque is a mandatory event for any person who comes to India!

Video about Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal (India): architecture, construction, myths

Taj Mahal- this is a mosque combined with a mausoleum, located in Agra on the banks of the local river Jamna. It is not known for certain who exactly is the architect of this building. This structure was built by order of Shah Janah, who is a direct descendant of the famous Tamerlane. The padishah of the Mughal Empire built the Taj Mahal for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to her 14th child. Subsequently, Shah Jahan himself was buried here.


The Taj Mahal (also called simply "the Taj") is the most famous example of a style of architecture that originated in Mongolia. It incorporated elements of Islamic, Indian and Persian architectural styles, since there are generally many borrowings in the Mongol culture. Taj Mahal received object status World Heritage UNESCO in the 83rd year of the twentieth century. It is considered a universally recognized masterpiece and pearl of Muslim culture, admired by people from different countries planets.


The Taj Mahal is a structurally integrated complex. Its construction began in 1632, and the work was completed only by 1653, that is, it lasted more than two decades. About twenty thousand craftsmen and ordinary workers worked on the construction of the facility. The construction was also led by the leading architects of the time, but it is not known for certain who exactly made the main contribution to the final result. Lakhauri is usually considered the creator of this famous structure, but some information suggests that the main architect was a native of Turkey, Muhammad Effendi. In any case, this question is unlikely to be answered.


Inside the mausoleum you can see the tombs of the Shah and his wife. But in fact, they are buried not under the tombs, but a little lower, underground.


The Taj Mahal is a five-domed building whose height reaches 74 meters. It was built on a platform with four minarets at the corners. The minarets have a slight slope away from the tombs, so as not to damage them in the event of a collapse.


Nearby there is a garden with fountains. The walls are made of translucent marble, which had to be brought here from afar. The masonry is made with inlaid gems. Thanks to this, the walls look snow-white in daylight, appear pink at dawn, and have a silvery tint on a moonlit night.


The construction of this building took a long time and more than twenty thousand people from different parts of the country, as well as from other countries in Asia and the Middle East, managed to work on the site. Each of them contributed to the final result.


The Taj Mahal was built just south of Agra, which was surrounded by a high wall that guarded the city. Shah Jahan personally selected the site and exchanged for it a huge palace, which is located in the very center of Agra. As a result, construction began on a site of approximately 1.2 hectares. To begin with, they dug up the ground and replaced the soil, and then built a platform that rose five meters above the level of the bank of the local river. Subsequently, the construction of the foundation began, which was to become the basis of a massive building, and during its construction the most modern technologies at that time were used. They even built the scaffolding thoroughly, which was not bamboo, as usual, but brick. They turned out to be so massive that the craftsmen were afraid that after construction they would have to be dismantled within several years. But everything turned out a little differently. The story says that Shah Jahan announced that anyone could take as many bricks as they wanted and the scaffolding was dismantled almost overnight, since in those days it was a popular building material.


The marble was transported using a special ramp constructed from compressed earth. Thirty bulls dragged each block along it to the construction site. The blocks were raised to the required level using specially designed mechanisms. The proximity of the river also made it possible to quickly obtain water. A special rope system made it possible to fill the tanks as quickly as possible, after which water from the tanks was transported directly to the construction site through specially laid pipes. A huge amount of work has been done in this regard.


The tomb and platform were built in 12 years, and all other parts of the complex were built for another ten. Construction was divided into stages and, largely thanks to this, it was possible to achieve timely delivery of all objects. The forces were not dispersed, but accumulated on a specific type of work.



Taj Mahal in 1865

Construction materials were brought here from all over India and even from neighboring Asian powers, so more than one thousand elephants were used to transport them. The Taj Mahal was really built by the whole country, and its construction took a huge amount of effort, time and money.



Taj Mahal in 1890


From the very beginning of its existence, the Taj Mahal has been not only a source of universal admiration, but also an excellent occasion for the creation of myths and legends based on it. As you know, any beautiful story There are many accompanying narratives surrounding it, some of which are true, and others of which are complete nonsense and fiction. Sometimes it is impossible to figure out what is truth and what is fiction. What exactly is true, and the number of legends themselves is incalculable, we will focus on the most remarkable.


The most common myth is that the Taj Mahal was not meant to be the only mausoleum. According to legend, another mausoleum was supposed to appear opposite it, but this time made of black marble. A new building was supposed to go up on the other side of the river, but certain circumstances prevented this. So, they say that Shah Jahan simply did not have time to complete the construction due to the fact that he was overthrown from the throne by his own son and legal heir Aurangzeb. This legend was reinforced by the fact that, over time, ruins of black marble were actually discovered on the opposite bank of the river. But everything fell into place at the end of the twentieth century, when excavations and research made it clear that black marble was in fact just white marble blackened by time. At the same time, the pond in the Moon Garden (according to legend, the second mausoleum was supposed to be located there) was reconstructed; it turned out that the reflection of the Taj Mahal in the water of the pond looks black and can be seen without problems. Perhaps the pond was built only for these purposes.

There is also no evidence that after construction was completed, the architect’s hands were cut off so that he could not recreate such beauty. According to another version, the builders signed a special agreement that they would never build anything like the Taj Mahal. Similar legends accompany almost any famous building and are pure fantasy.

Another legend concerns that in the mid-nineteenth century, William Bentinck planned to completely destroy the mausoleum and sell its marble at a major auction. Most likely, this myth arose after Bentinck sold marble from the construction of one of the forts in the city of Agra, but he had no such plans for the tomb.

The reality is often embellished by guidebooks, according to which Shah Jahan, after being overthrown by his son, admired the Taj Mahal straight from behind the bars of his prison. In fact, nothing of the kind happened, since Shah Jahan was kept in more than comfortable conditions in the Red Fort, located in Delhi. From there, the Taj Mahal is, of course, impossible to see. Here the narrators deliberately replace Delhi's Red Fort with the one located in Agra. From the Red Fort in Agra you can actually see the Taj. It turns out that most of the myths and stories about the famous mausoleum are nothing more than the most ordinary inventions, albeit very beautiful ones.


The Taj Mahal in India is located near Agra. In its external majestic appearance, it resembles a temple, but in fact it is a mausoleum built in honor of the second wife of Shah Jahan - Mumtaz Mahal (otherwise known as Arjumand Bano Begum).

History and Legends of Mumtaz Mahal

Translated, Taj Mahal means Crown of the Mughals. For some time it was also called Taj Bibi-ka-Rauza or the burial place of the queen of the heart. According to an old legend, Prince Guram, the future Shah Jahan, once saw a poor girl in the market. Looking into her eyes, he immediately decided to take her as his wife. So at the age of 19, Arjumand Bano Begum acquired the status of the second wife of Prince Guram. Guram had many other wives and concubines, but it was Mumtaz who won the heart of the future ruler for a long time.

Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

During the conquest of the throne, Mumtaz became the prince's most faithful companion. But the struggle was serious: the prince was opposed by his brothers, and besides, he had to hide from his own father Jahangir. But still, in 1627, Guram managed to seize the throne and receive the status of Shah Jahan - the ruler of the world.

Mumtaz occupied an important place in the life of the government. Shah Jahan organized various receptions and feasts in her honor. Mumtaz was present at all important state ceremonies, she was listened to even at state councils.

The specific facts about Mumtaz's life and death are mixed up in different sources, which over time made them a legend. So Mumtaz gave birth to nine or thirteen children, and died in 1636 or 1629. The reason is also confused - according to one of them she fell ill, according to the other she died during childbirth. Much comes down to the fact that this event occurred during the return with victory from the Deccan. Legend also says that before her death, Mumtaz asked her husband to build a tomb equal to their love.

History of the creation of the mausoleum

Initially, the queen was buried in Burkhan-Nur, where she died. Six months later, her remains were brought to Agra. And on the anniversary of his death, Shah Jahan began construction of the mausoleum. The best architects of the East took part in the project competition. All the masters were surpassed by the architect Usto Isa Khan Effendi from Shiraz. The emperor as a whole liked his project very much, and was only partially changed later.

It took 22 years for 20 thousand people to build this landmark of India. The tomb itself was surrounded by a wall made of red sandstone. In front of the Taj Mahal mausoleum, a huge courtyard was built for the future garden. According to one of beautiful legends on the opposite side of the Jamna River, the ruler began the construction of another mausoleum of the same shape, but made of black marble, for himself. Shah Jahan's love for symmetry is visible in this legend and in the general architecture of the building. The construction of an anti-copy of the mausoleum was not destined to come true - his son Aurangzeb intercepted the throne and imprisoned his father in the Red Fort. This is how Shah Jahan spent his last years lived under house arrest and died in 1666.

According to his father's will, Aurangzeb transfers his body to the Taj Mahal to his wife. Many other wives of Shah Jahan, as well as some family members and their associates, were also buried here.

The Taj Mahal is really very beautiful building. No description, photo or video can convey the true beauty of this structure. The architecture of the building conveys a mixture of Indian, Persian and Islamic architecture. The fortress walls are framed at the corners by pavilion towers. In the center rises the tomb building itself in iridescent colors depending on the lighting. At night it appears dazzlingly white, and when the river is in flood, all this beauty is evenly reflected in its flow.

The building is surrounded on three sides by a park. The façade of the palace is made up of a marble portal flanked on either side by two domed towers. Along the central axis of the mausoleum in front of the facade there is an irrigation canal divided by a pool. There are paths from the pool towards the four minarets, to which access has been closed due to suicide cases.

The feeling of lightness of the building from afar is reinforced by its decoration upon closer examination. So the walls are painted with a subtle pattern, the marble blocks are inlaid with gems that shimmer in the light. It seems that this building was erected quite recently. It is not surprising that according to another legend, Shah Jahan ordered the hands of the architect to be cut off so that he could not repeat this.

Two side staircases lead to the second floor of the tomb, where open terraces lie under a huge dome rising to a height of 74 meters. Niches are carved into the facade of the building, which further enhances the feeling of weightlessness of the building. Entering through the facade passage, you can see a spacious hall, in the center of which there are two white marble sarcophagi.

Sarcophagi

The walls of the building are decorated with stone mosaics. They are woven into many plants, garlands of flowers, letters. The vaults of the arches are painted with fourteen suras from the Koran.

The Indian Taj Mahal, the most famous monument of love, has long become a symbol of this country. It is one of the most popular attractions among tourists, perceived as an eternal love story in stone.

Taj Mahal- a mausoleum located in north-central India in Agra, on the banks of the Jamna River.

Built by order of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth. Inside the mausoleum there are two tombs - the Shah and his wife. In fact, their burial place is underground.

Shah Jahan

Mughal ruler Shah Jahan(1592-1666, reigned 1627-1658) erected this monument as the tomb of his beloved wife Arjumand Banu, better known by her title Mumtaz Mahal or Taj Mahal(Crown of the Palace), who died in 1631.

The width of the entire river side is raised on a platform with high (41 m) minarets at the four corners. On the western side of the platform there is a mosque, on the eastern side there is a reception hall (house for visitors). In the center of the platform there is a tomb with a square plan with beveled corners. The designs for the tomb were prepared by the best architects of the Mughal Empire. The mausoleum is located in the center of a vast rectangular area (length 600 m, width 300 m).

The greatest work of architectural architecture, modern miracle light - Indian mausoleum Taj Mahal. Every visitor to India is sure to admire this wonderful building. The Taj Mahal leaves no one indifferent either with its splendor or its legend.

An artificial canal leads to the Taj Mahal, surrounded by amazing cypress trees. Next to the Mausoleum there are two mosques made of red sandstone. The majestic structure along with green lawns and bright flowers create the impression that you are in a fairy tale. The best time to view the beautiful palace is early in the morning. It seems that the Taj Mahal is floating in the air.

History of the construction of the Taj Mahal mausoleum

This amazing structure was built by order of Padishah Shah Jahan in memory of his beautiful wife, who died untimely during childbirth, in memory of their selfless love for each other. The Padishah wanted to build a palace made of black marble opposite the Taj Mahal. He dreamed of connecting the two palaces with a bridge. But his plans failed to come true. He died in captivity, admiring the beautiful palace and dreaming of meeting his wife in another world. After the death of the padishah, he was buried in the same Mausoleum.

The mausoleum took about 22 years to build. All elements of the Mausoleum are symmetrical, the proportions are maintained and are multiples of four. The height of the Mausoleum is 74 meters. Everything is measured down to the millimeter, and the possibility of destruction in the event of an earthquake or hurricane is taken into account.
White marble was used for the construction of the building. Depending on the time of day, the color of the marble changes. The Mausoleum is decorated with elegant carvings, bars with precious stones, on the ceiling are painted suras from the Koran in Arabic.

In the center of the Mausoleum there are false tombs, while the real ones are located under the floor.

Over the entire period, 20 thousand people participated in the construction. The name of the architect is not known, but researchers are convinced that the construction of the palace was the work of residents of Iran, India, and Central Asia.

Hidden symbols and signs

The mausoleum has numerous symbols hidden in its architecture and layout. For example, at the gate through which visitors to the Taj Mahal enter park complex, surrounding the mausoleum, a quotation from the Koran is carved, addressed to the righteous and ending with the words “enter my paradise.”

Centuries pass, but the Taj Mahal only gets prettier and delights guests with its unfading beauty. The beauty of the structure and the beauty of ever-living love.

Excursions to the Taj Mahal

Best time to visit the mausoleum - from November to February; in other months it is too hot. The Taj Mahal is open to the public from 6:00 to 19:00 on weekdays, except on Fridays, when prayers are held at the mosque. The cost of visiting is approximately $10. You can get to the Taj Mahal from Delhi by train, bus, or take a tour.

You can visit the Taj Mahal through the East, West or South Gates.

Rules for visiting the Taj Mahal:

  • It is allowed to bring water in transparent bottles, video cameras, cameras, mobile phones and small handbags;
  • When visiting the Taj Mahal, you must remove your shoes;
  • Photography is prohibited inside the mausoleum;

Where is the Taj Mahal?

The city of India where the Taj Mahal is located is Agra, on the banks of the Jamna River.

Taj Mahal is one of the greatest monuments India, built in the name of love and devotion to a woman of extraordinary beauty. Having no analogues of its greatness, it reflects the wealth of an entire era in the history of the state. The white marble building was the last gift of the Mongol Emperor Shah Jahan to his late wife Mumtaz Mahal. The emperor ordered to find the best craftsmen and instructed them to create a mausoleum, the beauty of which would have no analogues in the world. Today it is included in the list of the seven most majestic monuments in the world. Constructed of white marble and decorated with semi-precious stones and gold, the Taj Mahal has become one of the most magnificent buildings in the world of architecture. It is instantly recognizable and one of the most photographed structures in the world.

The Taj Mahal has become the pearl of Muslim culture in India and one of the world's universally recognized masterpieces. For centuries it has inspired poets, artists and musicians who have tried to translate its invisible magic into words, paintings and music. Since the 17th century, people have traveled across continents to see and enjoy this amazing monument to love. Centuries later, it still captivates visitors with the charm of its architecture, which tells the story of mysterious story love.

The Taj Mahal (translated as "Palace with a Dome") is today considered the most well-preserved and architecturally beautiful mausoleum in the world. Some call the Taj “elegy in marble”; for many it is an eternal symbol of unfading love. The English poet Edwin Arnold called it “not a work of architecture, like other buildings, but the love pangs of an emperor embodied in living stones,” and the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore considered it “a tear on the cheek of eternity.”

Creator of the Taj Mahal

The fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan left behind many remarkable architectural monuments associated with the image of India in the eyes modern world: Pearl Mosque in Agra, Shahjahanabad (now known as Old Delhi), Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas in the Red Fort citadel of Delhi. The famous Peacock Throne of the Great Mughals, according to the descriptions of contemporaries, was considered the most luxurious throne in the world. But the most famous of all surviving monuments was the Taj Mahal, which forever immortalized his name.

Shah Jahan had several wives. In 1607 he was betrothed to Arjumanad Banu Begam. The young girl was only 14 years old at that time. 5 years after the engagement, the wedding took place. During the wedding ceremony, Shah Jahan's father, Jahangir, gave his daughter-in-law the name Mumtaz Mahal (translated as "Jewel of the Palace").

According to the official chronicler Qazwini, Jahan's relations with his other wives "were nothing more than the status of marriage. The intimacy, deep affection, attention and favor which His Majesty felt for Mumtaz was a thousand times greater than the feelings towards any other."

Shah Jahan, "Emperor of the Universe", was a great patron of trade and crafts, science and architecture, art and gardens. He took over the empire after his father's death in 1628 and earned a reputation as a merciless ruler. Through a series of successful military campaigns, Shah Jahan greatly expanded the Mughal Empire. The splendor and wealth of Jahan's court amazed European travelers. At the height of his reign, he was considered the most powerful man on Earth.

But the personal life of the powerful emperor was overshadowed by the loss of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal during childbirth in 1631. Legend has it that he promised his dying wife to build the most beautiful mausoleum, incomparable to anything in the world. Whether it really happened or not, Shah Jahan embodied his love and wealth in the creation of just such a monument.

Shah Jahan watched the beautiful creation until the end of his days, but as a prisoner, not a ruler. His son Aurangzeb seized the throne in 1658 and imprisoned his own father in the Red Fort of Agra. The only consolation was the opportunity to look at the Taj Mahal from the window of my captivity. In 1666, before his death, Shah Jahan asked for one last wish: to be carried to a window overlooking the Taj Mahal, where he again whispered the name of his beloved.

Mumtaz Mahal

She married five years after the engagement, on May 10, 1612. The date was chosen by court astrologers as the most favorable day for a happy marriage. The marriage of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan turned out to be happy for both newlyweds. Even during her lifetime, poets praised her beauty, harmony and mercy. Mumtaz became Shah Jahan's trusted companion, traveling with him throughout the Mughal Empire. Only the war served as the only reason for their separation. Later, even the war ceased to separate them. She became a support, love and consolation for the emperor, an inseparable companion of her husband until his death.

Over 19 years of marriage, Mumtaz gave birth to 14 children, but the last, fourteenth birth became fatal for her. Mumtaz dies and her body is temporarily buried in Burhanpur.

The chroniclers of the imperial court paid unusually much attention to Jahan's experiences in connection with the death of his wife. The emperor was inconsolable in his grief. After Mumtaz's death, Shah Jahan spent a whole year in seclusion. When he finally came to his senses, his hair had turned gray, his back was bent, and his face had aged. The Emperor stopped listening to music, wearing jewelry and ornate clothing, and wearing perfume for several years.

Shah Jahan died eight years after the accession of his son Aurangzeb to the throne. “My father had great affection for my mother, let his final resting place be with her,” Aurangzeb declared and ordered his father to be buried next to Mumtaz Mahal.

There is a legend that Shah Jahan planned to build a replica in black marble on the opposite side of the Yamuna River. But these plans are not destined to come to fruition.

Creation of the Taj Mahal

In December 1631, Shah Jahan began construction of the Taj Mahal. Its construction was the fulfillment of a promise made to Mumtaz Mahal in the last moments of her life: to build a monument that would match her beauty. The central mausoleum was completed in 1648, and construction of the entire complex was completed five years later, in 1653.

History hides who exactly owns the layout of the Taj Mahal. In the Islamic world at that time, the construction of buildings was attributed to the owner of the building, and not to its architect. Based on the sources, we can confidently say that a team of architects worked on the project. Like most great monuments, the Taj Mahal stands as a striking testament to the extreme wealth and excess of its creator. 20,000 workers toiled for 22 years to make Shah Jahan's fantasy come true. Sculptors arrived from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlay was done by craftsmen from southern India, and stonemasons came from Balochistan. Materials were brought from all over India and Central Asia.

Architecture of Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal consists of the following complex of buildings:

Darwaza ( main entrance)
Rauza (mausoleum)
Bageecha (gardens)
Masjid (mosque)
Naqqar Khana (guest house)

The mosque and the guest house, built for symmetry, surround the mausoleum on both sides. The marble building is surrounded by four minarets, tilted slightly outward, a design feature designed to prevent the central dome from being damaged if destroyed. The complex is located in a garden with a large swimming pool, which reflects what no architect in the world has been able to replicate - a copy of the beauty of the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is surrounded by a beautifully landscaped garden. An Islamic style garden is not just one of the components of the complex. The followers of Muhammad lived in vast expanses of arid lands under the sultry sun, so the walled garden represented Heaven on Earth. It covers most of the complex: out of a total area of ​​580x300 m, the garden occupies 300x300 m.

Since the number “4” is considered a holy number in Islam, the layout of the Taj Mahal garden is based on the number four and its multiples. Canals and a central pond divide the garden into four parts. In each quarter there are 16 flower beds (64 in total), separated by pedestrian paths. The trees in the garden are either of the cypress family (meaning death) or fruit trees (meaning life), all arranged in a symmetrical arrangement.

The trees of the Taj Garden are either of the cypress family (meaning death) or fruit family (meaning life), all arranged in a symmetrical pattern. The Taj Mahal is located at the northern end of the garden, not in the center. In essence, in the center of the garden, between the Taj and its central gate, there is an artificial pond that reflects the mausoleum in its waters.

History of the Taj Mahal after construction

By the mid-19th century, the Taj Mahal had become a place of pleasure. Women danced on the terrace, and the mosque and guest house were rented out to newlyweds. The British, along with the Hindus, plundered the rich carpets, semiprecious stones, silver doors and tapestries that once decorated the mausoleum. Vacationers often came armed with a hammer and chisel to better extract pieces of agate and carnelian from the stone flowers.
For some time it seemed that the monument, like the Mughals themselves, might disappear. In 1830, Lord William Bentinck (Governor General of India at the time), planned to dismantle the Taj Mahal and sell its marble. They say that only the lack of potential buyers prevented the destruction of the mausoleum.

In 1857, during the Indian Rebellion, the Taj Mahal suffered even more damage. By the end of the 19th century it finally fell into disrepair. The area became overgrown without maintenance, and the graves were desecrated by vandals.

After many years of decline, the British Governor-General of India, Lord Curzon, organized large-scale project restoration, completed in 1908. The building was renovated, the garden and canals were restored. Restoration of the monument helped restore its former glory.

It is customary to criticize the British for their neglect of the Taj Mahal, but the Indians did not treat their treasure much better. As the population of Agra increased, the monument began to suffer from pollution environment and acid rain that discolored its white marble. In the late 1990s, the future of the monument was under serious threat until Supreme Court India decided to move particularly hazardous industries outside the city.
The Taj Mahal is considered the best example of Mughal architecture, combining elements of Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural schools. In 1983, the monument was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, calling it "a jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the masterpieces of world heritage, arousing universal admiration."

The Taj Mahal has become India's most identifiable symbol, attracting around 2.5 million tourists annually. It is one of the most recognizable monuments in the world. The history behind its construction makes it one of the greatest monuments of love ever built in the world.

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