Taj Mahal

-------------------------------------------------
Taj Mahal
For other uses, see Taj Mahal (disambiguation).

Taj Mahal
تاج محل
ताज महल | Southern view of the Taj Mahal. | Location | Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India | Coordinates | 27.174799°N 78.042111°E | Elevation | 171 m (561 ft) | Built | 1632–1653[citation needed] | Architect | Ustad Ahmad Lahauri | Architectural style(s) | Mughal architecture | Visitation | More than 3 million (in 2003) | | UNESCO World Heritage Site | Type | Cultural | Criteria | i | Designated | 1983 (7th session) | Reference # | 252 | State Party | India | Region | Asia-Pacific | | | | | Location in western Uttar Pradesh, India |
The Taj Mahal (/ˈtɑːdʒ məˈhɑːl/ often pron.: /ˈtɑːʒ/;[1] Hindi: ताज महल, fromPersian/Urdu: تاج محل‎ "crown of palaces", pronounced [ˈt̪aːdʒ mɛˈɦɛl]; also "the Taj"[2]) is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world 's heritage".[3]
Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indianarchitectural styles.[4][5]
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the whitedomed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen.[6] The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma 'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.[7][8] Lahauri[9] is generally considered to be the principal designer.[10] Contents [hide] * 1 Origin and inspiration * 2

References: 2. ^ Taj Mahal. CollinsDictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 11th Edition. Retrieved November 07, 2012. 5. ^ Lesley A. DuTemple, "The Taj Mahal", Lerner Publishing Group (March 2003). pg 26: "The Taj Mahal, a spectacular example of Moghul architecture, blends Islamic, Hindu and Persian styles" 6 15. ^ Mahajan, Vidya Dhar (1970). Muslim Rule In India. p. 200. 21. ^ Begley, Wayne E. (March 1979). "The Myth of the Taj Mahal and a New Theory of Its Symbolic Meaning". The Art Bulletin 61(1): 14. 23. ^ Wright, Karen (1 July 2000). "Works in Progress". Discover(Waukesha, WI, USA: Kalmbach Publishing). 24. ^ Allan, John (1958). The Cambridge Shorter History of India(First ed.). Cambridge: S. Chand, 288 pages. p. 318. 34. ^ Gascoigne, Bamber (1971). The Great Mughals. New York:Harper&Row. p. 243. 36. ^ Yapp, Peter (1983). The Traveller 's Dictionary of Quotations. London:Routledge Kegan & Paul. p. 460. 41. ^ "Taj Mahal could collapse within five years because wooden foundations are rotting". October 5, 2011. 42. ^ http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/07/could-taj-mahal-collapse-in-2-years/?intcmp=trending%7Ctitle=Taj Mahal could collapse within two to five years |date=October 7, 2011 43 47. ^ Travel Correspondent (9 July 2007). "New Seven Wonders of the World announced". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 July 2007. 54. ^ Warrior Empire: The Mughals of India (2006) A+E Television Network. 56. ^ Rosselli, J., Lord William Bentinck the making of a Liberal Imperialist, 1774–1839, London Chatto and Windus for Sussex University Press 1974, p. 283. * Bernier, Françoi ' Travels in the Moghul Empire A.D. 1657–1668 (Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co.) 1891. * Carroll, David (1971). The Taj Mahal, Newsweek Books ISBN 0-88225-024-8. * Copplestone, Trewin. (ed). (1963). World architecture — An illustrated history. Hamlyn, London. * Gascoigne, Bamber (1971). The Great Moguls, Harper & Row. * Havel, E.B. (1913). Indian Architecture: Its Psychology, Structure and History, John Murray. * Koch, Ebba (2006) [Aug 2006] (Paperback). The Complete Taj Mahal: And the Riverfront Gardens of Agra (First ed.). Thames & Hudson Ltd., 288 pages. ISBN 0-500-34209-1. * Lall, John (1992). Taj Mahal, Tiger International Press. * Preston, Diana & Michael (2007) [2007] (Hardback). A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time (First ed.). London: Doubleday, 354 pages. ISBN 978-0-385-60947-0. * Rothfarb, Ed (1998). In the Land of the Taj Mahal, Henry Holt ISBN 0-8050-5299-2. * Spiller, R (1994). "Agricultural Sites of the Taj Mahal ', Chronicle Books. * Stall, B (1995). Agra and Fathepur Sikri, Millennium. * Stierlin, Henri [editor] & Volwahsen, Andreas (1990). Architecture of the World: Islamic India, Taschen. * Tillitson, G.H.R. (1990). Architectural Guide to Mughal India, Chronicle Books.