The Taj Mahal, a mausoleum in Uttar Pradesh, was built between 1632 and 1648 in memory of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's wife Mumtaz Mahal. Designed by Ustad Ahmad Lohri, it cost 32 million rupees and employed 20,000 workers.
Architectural Features
The Taj Mahal complex features four recurring numerals, including gardens, canals, and minarets. Its architecture, influenced by Persian 'hasht bihisht', combines residential and funerary buildings to create an exquisite tomb and a 'paradise' for the soul.
Symmetry
The Taj Mahal, located at the Yamuna River, houses the tombs of the emperor and queen. It features an octagonal base with four sides, a square platform, corner chambers, and gateway hallways, surrounded by a balanced ground plan.
The Mausoleum
The Taj Mahal's architecture features perfect symmetry, including the main dome, minarets, canals, gardens, and mirror symmetry in subsidiary elements like the mosque and guest house, emphasizing bilateral symmetry.
Shahjahani Column
The Taj Mahal's architecture features perfect symmetry, including the main dome, minarets, canals, gardens, and mirror symmetry in subsidiary elements like the mosque and guest house, emphasizing bilateral symmetry.
Minarets
The Taj Mahal Agra's architecture features minarets that create an optical illusion, appearing ginormous upon entering and shrinking as one approaches.
The Gardens
The gardens are strategically placed to guide the masses towards the tomb, intersected by four canals and an elevated lotus pond. Divided into four sections, they follow a Timurid-Persian pattern, with a pavilion at the center.