The Taj Mahal, located in the city of Agra, is one of the most famous landmarks around the world. The building was erected by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. This sad and incredibly touching story gives the mausoleum an aura of romance. Taj Mahal - beautiful building peace, which has become a symbol of eternal love.

When you look at this snow-white, huge, but at the same time seemingly airy building, an inexplicable feeling of sadness certainly arises. It is known from history that this mausoleum was built for Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved third wife of Shah Jahan, who died in 1631 giving birth to their fourteenth child. The grief of Shah Bal was so great that neither a huge harem, nor gold and jewels could drown it. The creation of this building, incredible in scale and beauty, seems to serve as an expression of deep sorrow and a declaration of eternal love.

The Taj Mahal is also a unique piece of architecture that combines elements of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles. This building is a complex of structures, the central and main element of which is the mausoleum from white marble.

The construction of this miracle lasted for years (it began in 1632, ended in 1653), thousands of craftsmen and artisans were involved, a whole council of architects headed by Ustad Ahmad Lahauri worked. By 1648, the main mausoleum was completed, and the adjacent buildings and garden were completed only five years later.

Mausoleum Taj Mahal

The architectural center of the Taj Mahal complex is the tomb. It is simply huge in size, made of white marble, sits on a square pedestal and is a symmetrical building with an arched opening topped with a large dome. The main architectural elements are of Persian origin.

Inside the mausoleum there are two tombs - Mumtaz Mahal and the Shah himself. The structure reaches 74 meters in height; in its corners there are 4 minarets, slightly inclined to the side of the building. This was done on purpose so that in the event of a fall, they could not damage it.

The marble dome of the mausoleum has a peculiar shape, due to which it is called the "onion dome" and has a height of 35 meters. Its shape is emphasized by four smaller domes located at the corners of the tomb and having the same "onion" shape.

The main dome was adorned with a solid gold crescent crown, which was replaced by a bronze copy in the 19th century.

Minarets are created as active parts of mosques, from which Muslims call to prayer sounds. Each minaret is 40 meters high and is divided into three equal parts by encircling balconies. The decorative elements that adorn the minarets are also gilded.

Exterior of Taj Mahal

The exterior of the Taj Mahal is rightfully recognized as one of the best in the world. Decorative design is made using different types plasters, paints, inlays and carvings. In Islam, it is forbidden to use anthropomorphic forms, therefore the elements are symbols, abstractions and plant motifs.

The entire complex is adorned with passages from the Koran as decorative elements. At the entrance to the Taj Mahal park, four verses of the 89th sura of the Koran "Al-Fajr" (Dawn) are inscribed on the gate:

“O soul that has found peace in truth!

Return to your Lord, content with the blessedness of the mercies of Allah, who won the favor of Allah with her good deeds performed in earthly life!

Become one of My godly slaves!

Enter My Paradise - the abode of eternal bliss! "

Abstract forms adorn many parts of the complex. They are found on pedestals, minarets, gates, mosques and grave surfaces. At the bottom of the tomb are marble figurines of flowers and vines. All images are carefully polished and inlaid with yellow marble, jasper and jade.

Taj Mahal interior

The interior of the Taj Mahal is not entirely traditional. Interior decoration is rich in elements with precious and semi precious stones and inlays, and the hall is a perfectly regular octagon that can be entered from any side. But only one door is used from the south from the side of the garden.

The ceiling of the hall is made in the form of an inner dome and is decorated in the form of the sun. The inner space of the hall is divided into parts by eight large arches. Balconies and observation decks formed by four central arches. The lighting of the hall is provided by a viewing window and special holes in the corners of the roof.

In the center of the hall are the tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. They are lavishly adorned with precious stones. On the gravestone of Mumtaz Mahal, there are inscriptions praising her, as well as a rectangle, according to one of the versions, intended for writing. The only asymmetric element in the entire complex of the Mausoleum is the tomb of Shah Jahan, the reason for this is that it was completed later. It is decorated with the same decorative elements, but larger in size.

Taj Mahal Gardens

The garden in front of the Taj Mahal is simply beautiful. It has a length of 300 meters, four parts, which are divided by original raised paths into sixteen flower beds. The channel located in the center of the garden is faced with marble and reflects the image of the mausoleum like in a mirror. Previously, the description of the park contains a mention of the abundance of vegetation - a variety of fruit trees, exquisite roses, daffodils. However, during the reign of Britain, the garden was changed almost beyond recognition - all the vegetation was reduced to an ordinary green lawn.

Adjacent buildings

In addition to the main elements of the Mausoleum, the complex has several small mausoleums where the rest of the Shah's wives rest, and in a larger building - the beloved servant Mumtaz Mahal. The main gate is a monumental structure made of marble. The passage of the gate follows the shape of the vaulted aisles of the mausoleum, and the arches are decorated with the same decorative elements. All elements of the complex are surprisingly precisely planned geometrically and symmetrically in relation to the main building.

History of the construction of the Taj Mahal

The plot of land on which the Taj Mahal was erected was acquired by Shah Jahan from Maharaja Jai Singh in exchange for Grand Palace in the center of Agra. For construction work, a giant pit was dug, then it was filled with mud to strengthen the soil, and the construction site itself was raised 50 meters above the level of the river. In addition, deep wells were dug and filled with rubble to drain water. Strong brick scaffolding was erected, greatly facilitating construction.

In order to transport materials to the construction site, a fifteen-meter trench was dug, along which huge blocks were pulled by harnesses of 20-30 oxen. A system of reservoirs was created to supply water from the river to the complex. The total construction cost was approximately Rs 32 million.

And almost immediately after the completion of the Taj Mahal, Aurangzeb overthrew his father Shah Jahan and imprisoned him in Fort Delhi.

By the end of the 19th century, the majestic structure fell into disrepair and was plundered by the British. Lord Curzon carried out an almost complete reconstruction of the Taj Mahal and the garden.

Nowadays, a new threat has arisen over the complex - environmental pollution is gradually leading to the destruction of the mausoleum building. The government is taking steps to change the situation, but so far to no avail.

Taj Mahal is the main attraction of India, attracting about 3 million tourists annually. This is a significant source of income for the country's budget. It is open to the public every day except Friday.

According to legend, a black reflection of the Taj Mahal should appear on the other bank of the Jamna River - such a mausoleum was planned to be built for himself by Shah Jahan. However, his plans were not destined to come true due to the betrayal of his son.

Taj Mahal, mausoleum of Sultan Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Architect Ustad Isa. 1630-1652

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is located in the city of Agra in northern India, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It was created in the style later called "Mugal", which combined the traditions of Indian, Persian and Arab architecture. Actually, the mausoleum was the first building built in a new spirit. The Taj Mahal was erected at the behest of Shah Jahan (1592-1666). the fifth ruler from the Mughal dynasty, as the burial place of his wife Arjumand and a monument of their love. Arjumand was the daughter of Minister Jangir and is better known under the titles Mumtaz Mahal (Chosen One of the Palace) or Taj Mahal (Crown of the Palace).
Initially, the tomb was called Raosa Mumtaz-Mahal or Taj Bibiha-Raosa, which in Arabic means "the tomb of the mistress of my heart." Only later, during the British colonization of India, the building was assigned modern name-Taj Mahal.

Disputes about the architect

After the conquestIndia by the British, a number of scholars hypothesized that the truecreatorthe design of the tomb was a European architect. Possibly ItalianJeroniMo Veroneo, who worked at the court of Shah Jahan. Or Frenchjeweler Avgustin de Bordeaux, one of the founders of the Golden Throne of the Great Mughals.Opponentsthey object: there are no structures and construction methods in architecturetraces of the euroPean technical achievements of that time, but everything is connectedbetter thanowned Indian, Persian and Arab architecture. Specificwaysstone treatments used in construction were known onlyeasternmasters. And domes similar to the dome of the Taj Mahal were erected in thatperiod lin Samarkand and Bukhara.

LOVE IN STONE
The beloved wife of Shah Jahan died in childbirth in 1631 at the age of 38. The saddened emperor decided to immortalize her memory in a previously unseen tomb. The ruler of one of the most powerful and richest countries of that time made full use of the opportunities
their position. He sent messengers to all the centers of architecture of the Islamic world: Istanbul, Baghdad, Samarkand, Damascus and Shiraz, summoning the most famous architects of the East. At the same time, on his order, drawings and plans of all the famous structures of Asia were brought to Agra. Vladyka wanted to erect a building, equal and even similar to which did not exist in the world.

Many projects were considered. Perhaps this was the first ever architectural competition. As a result, Shah Jahan settled on the version of the young Shiraz architect Ustad Isa.
Then the immediate preparation for construction began. Stonemasons from Delhi and Kandahar, who were considered the best in India, came to Agra. Artists and calligraphers were hired in Persia and Baghdad, the people of Bukhara and Delhi were in charge of the decoration, and skilled gardeners from Bengal were invited to create the garden and park ensemble. The management of the work was entrusted to Ustad Isa, and his closest assistants were the prominent Turkish architect Hanrumi and the Samarkandian Sharif, who created the magnificent dome of the mausoleum. Thus, the Mumtaz Mahal mausoleum combined all the best that the architecture and decorative and applied arts of the East achieved at that time.

MUSEUM OF TAJ-MAKHAL

In addition to the actual architectural complex of the mausoleum on the territory of the Taj Mahal, there is also a museum exposition dedicated to the history of the Mughal dynasty. It presents a unique numismatic collection, objects of art and everyday life of the 16th-17th centuries. Gardens in the famous Mughal style are laid out near the walls of the museum - a copy of the garden that surrounds the mausoleum.

Ustad Isa took the late Indian architecture as a basis, in particular the Humayun mausoleum - the burial place of the first Great Mughals and members of their families. But at the same time, he made considerable changes, abandoning, for example, the addiction to numerous columns (there are none of them and the Taj Mahal at all). According to court historian Abdul Hamid Lahori. construction began six months after the death of Mumtaz Mahal and lasted 12 years. In 1643 the central building of the tomb was completed.

The construction was fully completed in 1648, but, apparently, after
Le this finishing lasted for several more years. In total, construction and finishing took 22 years. More than 20 thousand people took part in the work at the same time, for whom a special town of Mumtazabad was built near Agra.
The main material was white marble, delivered by elephants from the quarries of Jokhapur - more than three hundred kilometers away. In the decoration, inlays with precious and semiprecious stones were widely used. There were Hindu Kush lapis lazuli, Chinese jade of all colors, the Dean's moonstone, Persian amethysts and turquoise, Tibetan carnelian, malachite brought from Russia. According to legend, there was a lot more gold and silver on the inlay, than an elephant can take away. Red sandstone and black marble were used for the main lines in the ornaments.
To climb on great height materials for the erection of the main floor, according to the project of the Turkish engineer Ismail Khan, they built a sloping earth embankment 3.5 km long and almost 50 m high. Elephants could transport marble blocks to the place of work without hindrance. When Shah Jahan saw the completed mausoleum, he wept with admiration.

Despite its enormous size, the mausoleum looks weightless. In many ways, this effect is achieved thanks to the four minarets, which have a carefully planned deviation from the vertical axis. This was supposed to save the tomb from destruction by the rubble of minarets in the event of an earthquake.

Soon, Shah Jahan wished to build a similar mausoleum next to the Taj Mahal, but this time in black - for himself.
However, this was not destined to come true. The emperor fell ill, a war broke out in the country between his sons. Thanks to the support of the Muslim clergy, the youngest, the Islamic fanatic Aurangzeb, who executed all his brothers and did not spare even his own father, won the victory.
Shah Jahan spent the rest of his life in the casemate of the famous Red Fort of Agra, built by his great-grandfather Akbar, the founder of the dynasty. From there he had a view of the Taj Mahal - the last consolation of the prisoner. According to the chronicler Abdul Hamid Lahori, feeling the approach of death, the prisoner asked the jailers to bring him to the window and, looking at the tomb of his beloved wife, "plunged into a deep, eternal sleep." According to his will, he was buried next to Arjumand.

The proportions of the Taj Mahal were so perfect that even a legend was born, as if during its creation they resorted to magic and the help of otherworldly forces. Another legend says that at the end of the work, the architects had their eyes gouged out, and the hands of the masters were cut off, so that they could not create anything else of the kind. This is, of course, a myth. On the contrary, both the architects and the builders were generously rewarded, and besides, their work during the entire construction of the mausoleum was well paid. Which, by the way, gave rise to the enemies of Shah Jahan to assert that the construction of the Taj Mahal ravaged the treasury of the empire. But this is not so: at that moment the state of the Great Mughals was very rich and occupied almost the entire Hindustan. Simultaneously with the construction of the tomb, extensive irrigation work was carried out in the Punjab and successful wars with neighbors were fought.

BEAUTY AND TIME
Time and people did not spare the monument. Aurangzeb was the first to ravage him, golden lattice, which surrounded the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal. Condemning his father for wanton waste, he himself built a semblance of the Taj Mahal south of Agra - for himself and his eldest wife. But the copy turned out to be quite unsuccessful and almost unknown to the general public.
After Aurangzeb, the mausoleum was plundered under Nadir Shah in 1739. Then the silver doors of the main hall were taken away, later replaced by bronze ones that still exist today. When the British army occupied Agra in 1803, soldiers took about 200 kg of gold from the Taj Mahal and gleaned many precious stones from its walls. Most of these treasures went to the East India Company.
Only in late XIX v. by order of the Viceroy of India Lord Curzon, the monument was taken under protection. Since then, its security has been the concern of the Indian authorities - first the colonial, and after the proclamation of independence - the national government. The leadership of the Department of Archaeological Research of India even obtained a ruling from the country's Supreme Court banning industrial activities in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal. Airplane flights are prohibited over the mausoleum so that vibration from the operation of the engines does not damage the unique monument.
Unfortunately, politics has hindered the normal functioning of the museum for several years. In connection with the activation of terrorist organizations in India, the protection of the Taj Mahal had to be entrusted the armed forces and special services. The central pavilion of the mausoleum was closed to visitors back in 1984 - after a clash between guards and militants there. Since then, the Indian government has feared a repeat attack and has closely monitored the surrounding area. Ironically, the attacks against the Taj Mahal, built by one of the greatest Muslim rulers of India, were planned and carried out by Islamic radicals.
Recently, the mausoleum has been threatened by the forces of nature. Due to soil subsidence, changes in the hydrological regime and several earthquakes, the foundations of the minarets were displaced, and only urgent measures to strengthen the soil saved the miracle of architecture from destruction.

Mosaic panel on the walls of the Taj Mahal.
Inside, the walls of the Taj Mahal are decorated with mosaics of fabulous trees and flowers. The thoughtful arrangement of the windows makes the mausoleum literally transparent to sunlight and moonlight, and it almost does not need artificial lighting. In the center of the main hall is an octagonal burial chamber topped with a low dome. Here, behind an openwork stone fence inlaid with precious stones, there are false tombs - cenotaphs. The real sarcophagi of Empress Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are located in the dungeon just under the cenotaphs. These tombs are covered with fantastically floral designs of semi-precious stones.

The Taj Mahal is a pearl of world architecture. It is recognized as one of the most beautiful structures on Earth, and its silhouette is considered the unofficial symbol of India. In 1983, the Taj Mahal was included in the list of sites under the protection of UNESCO.

PERFECT PROPORTIONS
In terms of the Taj Mahal, it is somewhat similar to the classical Islamic cult building... In addition to the mausoleum itself, the complex of buildings includes a mosque and a covered gallery made of red sandstone, an arch-shaped gate, as well as an extensive garden with fountains and pools, planned so that the tomb is clearly visible from all sides.
The mausoleum was erected on a vast seven-meter-high platform of red sandstone, on which, in turn, a three-meter Luzhe was erected on it and the Taj Mahal itself rests. This completely symmetrical octagonal building is 57 meters high and crowned with a 24-meter dome shaped like a lotus bud. The facades are decorated with pointed arches and niches, creating a subtle play of light and shadow.
The mausoleum is especially beautiful in the background blue sky and all this splendor is reflected in the rectangular pool located right in front of the building. This is the first such experience in the world. In Europe, two years after the completion of the Taj Mahal, French architect André Le Nôtre used a body of water designed to reflect the façade of the palace.
White marble combined with a carefully selected shade of the dome tiles - matching the color of the sky - creates the impression of an incredible lightness of the monumental ensemble. The beauty of the Taj Mahal is emphasized by the play of light, especially in the evening twilight, when marble is painted in various shades of purple, pink, golden colors. In the early morning, a building as if woven from lace. seems to be floating in the air.

One of the most wonderful creations of human hands, a place that annually attracts millions of people from all over the world - the majestic and beautiful Taj Mahal - is rightfully a real symbol of India.

Construction history

Taj Mahal is an amazing white structure that was built as a tomb for the third and beloved wife of the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan Mumtaz Mahal, on the banks of the Jamna River in Agra. Despite the large harem, the emperor loved Mumtaz Mahal most of all. She bore him thirteen children, and died in 1631, at the birth of the fourteenth. The ruler greatly grieved after the death of his beloved wife, so he ordered to gather the most skilled craftsmen of that time to create a mausoleum that would become a symbol of his endless love for Mumtaz. Construction began in 1632 and lasted over 20 years: the main complex was completed by 1648, while the secondary buildings and garden were completed five years later. Guri-Amir, the mausoleum of Tamerlane, the founder of the dynasty of Mughal rulers, located in Samarkand, the Jama Masjid mosque in Delhi, as well as the tomb of Humayun, one of the Mughal rulers, became a kind of "prototypes" of this grand tomb.

Architectural wonder

Taj Mahal is made in traditional Persian style and is a complex of luxurious and stately structures built of white marble. The main place in it is occupied by the mausoleum itself, located in the center of the site. It has the shape of a cube with "cut" corners and is crowned with a huge dome. The structure stands on a square "pedestal" with high minarets at its four corners. The mausoleum inside has a large number of rooms and halls, decorated with amazing mosaics, painted with delicate patterns and ornate ornaments. The coffin of Mumtaz Mahal is located in one of these rooms. And next to him is the coffin of Shah Jahan himself, who after death wished to be buried next to his beloved. Initially, the ruler was going to build an exact copy of the tomb on the other side of the Jamnah for himself, only from black marble, but he failed to bring his idea to life, so he bequeathed to bury himself in the Taj Mahal next to his wife. But it is worth noting that both of these coffins are empty, and the real burial place is in an underground crypt.

Initially, the mausoleum was decorated with a huge number of precious and semi-precious stones, pearls, and its main door was made of pure silver. But, unfortunately, to our time all these treasures have practically not survived, "settled" in the pockets of not very honest "tourists".

On three sides, the Taj Mahal is surrounded by a beautiful park, the gates to which also represent architectural masterpiece... Through the park, roads leading along a wide canal lead to the main entrance. There are two mosques on both sides of the mausoleum.

Translated from Persian, “Taj Mahal” means “the crown of all palaces”. And it is truly "the pearl of Muslim art in India and one of the world's recognized masterpieces of world heritage."

The Taj Mahal was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

It is also worth noting that officially tourists are allowed to take pictures of the Taj Mahal only from one side - opposite the main entrance.

On a note

Location: the city of Agra, 200 km from Delhi.
How to get there: by train or express to the railway station "Agra Cantt."
Official website: www.tajmahal.gov.in
Opening hours: daily from 6.00 to 19.00, except Friday. Two days before and two days after the full moon, the mausoleum is open in the evening hours - from 20.30 to midnight.
Tickets: foreigners - 750 rupees, local residents- 20 rupees, children under 15 - free. Tickets for visiting at night are purchased per day.

The Taj Mahal is considered not just a mausoleum, but a mausoleum-mosque. It is one of the most important landmarks in India and a striking example of the unique Indian architecture. It is surprising that in this unique creation of antiquity, elements of two styles are intertwined at once: Indian and Persian.

Mosque architecture

The true architect of this mosque is still not known, but the name of a person from Persia is often mentioned - the architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who could have taken part in its construction. The founding of the Taj Mahal dates back to 1630. The best artisans and craftsmen of those ancient times from all over Europe took part in the construction. This architectural complex consists of 5 main building structures:

The main building is the Taj Mahal. It houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself.

Holiday House.

Mosque of the complex.

A garden located in its surroundings.

The main gate of the mausoleum.

The mosque is famous for its extraordinary white dome. As many as 20 thousand craftsmen worked on its creation. The construction took almost three hundred and twenty years. The Taj Mahal is a massive 74 meter high structure with 5 domes and 4 minarets located on a platform. Surrounded by a large garden with many fountains and pools, reflected in the mirror-like surfaces of its reservoirs, it, like a fairytale palace, soars in the air. The walls are inlaid with gems and covered with smooth translucent marble. A variety of precious stones were used to decorate them.

During the day, when the sun illuminates the mausoleum, the marble shines with white, in the evening it takes on a pink tint, and at night, with the moonlight, it shines with silver. Today this magnificent architectural creation is considered the main attraction of India. Hidden symbols of the mausoleum.

In the Taj Mahal, you can find a huge number of symbols. For example, at the gate at the entrance to the park surrounding architectural ensemble, revelations from the Koran are engraved, which end with an appeal to the believers - “Enter My Paradise!”, and cypresses, spread throughout its territory, symbolize sadness in Islam. This paradise was meant for the beloved Taj Jahan. This was his plan. According to the researchers, the ruler, mad with grief, began to approach spiritual knowledge, creating his own paradise on earth. Rumors have reached our days that the emperor was going to build a throne for the great Allah.

Taj Mahal is gradually "fading away"

Unfortunately, the mausoleum is gradually beginning to deteriorate. The walls are cracked, its shining whiteness has disappeared, and the minarets may soon collapse as they deviate more and more from their axis. The river Jamna flowing nearby becomes shallower, which can change the structure of the soil and lead to subsidence of the foundation. But, in spite of everything, the Taj Mahal has stood for more than 350 years, attracting a huge number of tourists from all over the world with its architectural perfection and a wonderful legend of love.

Taj Mahal is probably the most famous and most attractive tourist attraction in India. And it's understandable why - he's stunningly handsome. He is a miracle. Many people want to see it, and every year from 3 to 5 million tourists visit it. Although from a formal point of view, the Taj Mahal represents not Indian, but Persian architecture. But it was he who became business card India.

As you know, the Taj Mahal was built by order of the padishah of the Mughal empire Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 14 births.

Yes, at present, I would not have given birth to this child, there are already more than enough children. And they would live happily ever after.

But who would then know about the third wife of the fifth Mughal padishah. And so the inconsolable Shah Jahan (which means "ruler of the world") ordered to build a tomb for his beloved. Which was built for more than 20 years (from 1630 to 1652) by about 20,000 workers under the guidance of architects from all over the Muslim world. Up to a thousand elephants and many horses and oxen were involved in the transport of goods in the construction.

Snow-white marble was brought for construction for 300 km, and other materials for the construction of the tomb were delivered not only from all over India, but also from abroad.

When the Taj Mahal was built, the problem of dismantling the scaffolding and auxiliary structures was solved, just like after the construction of our Winter Palace... Namely, they allowed local residents to take these materials for free. Which was done in a very short time (according to legend - in one night).

The names of the architects who led the creation of the miracle are well known. These are Deshenov-Anu, Makramat Khan and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. The main author of the project is usually considered the Persian Lahauri. According to another version, the main architect was the Turk Isa Mohammed Efendi.

There is a legend that the masters who performed a miracle were blinded and their hands were cut off, so that nothing of the kind could be done. But it seems that this is just a legend, there is no confirmation of it.

So much was spent on the construction of the Taj Mahal that the treasury was practically empty, and the huge and richest Mughal state began to decline. I doubt that. Painfully rich country India.

However, after the completion of the construction, Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned. The construction of the same, but black mausoleum, symmetrical to the white one, on the other bank of the Janma River, has been discontinued. Many researchers say about the black mausoleum that this is just a legend. But you must admit, beautiful. And judging by the obsession of the creators of the mausoleum with the idea of symmetry, and plausible.

Aurangzeb, although he kept his father in prison for 20 years, nevertheless buried him next to Mumtaz Mahal, his beloved wife and his mother. And the tombstone of Shah Jahan, which is larger than the tombstone of Mumtaz Mahal, is the only thing that is not symmetrical in the completely symmetrical Taj Mahal.

But the pitiful story that Shah Jahan spent 20 years in captivity in the Red Fort, looking out of the window at the mausoleum of his beloved, is just a legend. Yes, he was imprisoned in the Red Fort, but not in Agra, but in, 250 km from Agra.

The Taj Mahal, as the Mughal state declined, also began to slowly fall into desolation.

The British, who seized India after the Mughals, even though they were civilized and educated, were slowly picking out semi-precious stones from the walls of the mausoleum. And with them, his golden spire was replaced with an exact bronze copy.

After India gained independence, the Taj Mahal became the most important museum, and in 1983 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Due to the excess of the concentration of harmful substances in the air, the marble darkens. But every year the Taj Mahal is cleaned, and, in my unsophisticated opinion, it looks great. There is concern about the shallowing of the Janma River and, as a result, subsidence of the soil at the base of the mausoleum.

And further. Hindu nationalists say that the Taj Mahal is not an Indian work, that it was built on the site of a destroyed Hindu temple, and therefore it should be demolished. How serious this is, says the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister of the Indian Republic had to visit the Taj Mahal and then make a statement that it is very beautiful and, since the Indians built it, it is an Indian creation.

Excursion to Taj Mahal

The morning turned out to be somewhat hazy. Which was alarming, because they write on the Internet that in winter you might not see the Taj Mahal at all because of the fog. As one tourist wrote: "I could only touch it."

We were taken by bus with an electric motor to the ticket offices of the Taj Mahal. Machines with internal combustion engines must not be used there so as not to pollute the air.

We bought tickets, for foreigners they cost 1000 rupees, this is the most expensive excursion on the tour.

We were checked no less strictly than when boarding an airplane, with passing through the frame and feeling.

At the entrance there is a huge red gate with 11 small turrets. This is a characteristic feature of Muslim buildings in India: the walled courtyard can be accessed through a gate with turrets.

After passing through a relatively small arch, you finally come out to the Mausoleum. Here is the first miracle: when you walk through the arch, the Taj Mahal seems huge and occupies the entire opening, and when you exit, you see that it is far away, and it seems small. This is where the first "ah" appears.

To the Taj Mahal, you walk along an elongated rectangular pool, the bottom of which is painted blue. Therefore, the water appears blue. The water, we must give it its due, is transparent, which is very difficult to achieve in the tropics. But the bottom of the pool is not very clean.

The paths leading to the mausoleum are lined with low cypress trees, along which mowed lawns are laid out. They say that originally there were flower beds made of roses, and lawns are already an English innovation. The British do not know anything more beautiful than even lawns, but here, I think, roses would be better suited.

The Taj Mahal looks best from afar. What can I say: a miracle - it is a miracle, you need to see it.

Before going up to the mausoleum itself, you need to put on the white shoe covers issued when buying a ticket.

When you approach, the seams between the marble blocks become visible, the minarets look like ordinary lighthouses. The Taj Maahal is not perceived in parts, does not disintegrate. It must be seen in its entirety.

From a high platform paved with marble slabs around the mausoleum, one can see the unsightly Jamna River with muddy water. The river from the side of the mausoleum and from the opposite bank is fenced with barbed wire. In our time, a dead cow lay in the water near the shore. They say that you won't be able to admire the Taj Mahal from the other side. “An army lives there,” said the guide.

But also nearby Taj Mahal is beautiful. The patterns of marble and mosaics of semi-precious stones are impressive. The walls are decorated with graceful Arabic inscriptions.

You cannot take pictures inside the mausoleum. But I did not understand this and took several frames until I was told. However, there is nothing special inside. There are 2 tombstones, the larger one is the Shah, the smaller one is Mumtaz Mahal. Light penetrates through openwork marble lattices, but it is not enough. Inside - semi-darkness.

On the sides of the mausoleum there are 2 more symmetrical buildings. One is a functioning mosque, the other is a caravanserai, or, in Russian, a hotel. They are not bad either, but there is no comparison with the mausoleum.