Kirby Stone Company, LLC is offering a monthly spotlight on landmarks, both domestic and international, built with natural stone. The use of natural stone in the designs of these historic structures is no coincidence. The characteristics of natural stone, its beauty, timelessness and strength, are all reasons architects from the the modern era to the medieval ages used natural stone to build their master pieces.
As the month of February quickly comes to an end, the month known for Valentine's Day, Kirby Stone Company, LLC thought it noteworthy to discuss the Taj Mahal, an international historic project deemed "the epitome of love."
First, let's discuss what the Taj Mahal ACTUALLY is, its history and why it is acknowledged as one of the world's most famous symbols of love.
The Taj Mahal mausoleum stands at one end of the garden and rises from a 313 foot platform, displaying the structure's beautiful white marble. The tomb's structure is an octagonal shape with high portals on each side. The exterior of the tomb is characterized as a white marble exterior, inlaid with semiprecious stones. Arabic inscriptions, floral designs, and other prominent features of the tomb's interior are accented with quartz and marbles. The most recognizable feature, the roofing dome, forms a bulb reaching 115 feet.
Completed around 1653, the Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located along the Yamuna River in Agra, Uttar Pradesh state India. After over twenty years of construction, the Taj Mahal now stands as one of the eight wonders of the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the final resting place for Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
Shah Jahan was emperor of India during the rule of the Mughal Empire, and it was a time of great prosperity for India. However, in 1631, the emperor became severely grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal (meaning "Jewel of the Palace"), died due to complications during the birth of their fourteenth child. Construction began on the Taj Mahal in 1632, one year after her death.
Over the course of approximately twenty-two years of construction and the enlistment of over 22,000 workers, emperor Shah Jahan captured the essence of his pure, enduring love through the Taj Mahal, the "Crown Palace."
In 1666, upon the death of Shah Jahan, he was laid to rest next to his wife in the tomb.
More Than a Tomb
While the tomb is the central focus and most recognizable portion of this historic landmark, there are several other carefully designed areas of the premises with deep symbolism and meaning with regard to the Islamic beliefs of the afterlife.
As one enters the premises, they are greeted by a large, red sandstone and marble structure known as the Great Gate. The main gateway is a monumental structure is reminiscent of Mughal architecture of earlier emperors, and the archways mirror the shape of tomb's archways. In addition, the Great Gate boasts vaulted ceilings and walls with elaborate designs, similar to those found in the other buildings throughout the complex.
In addition to the main entrance, the Taj Mahal complex has two additional structures with similar architecture surrounding the tomb. These two structures are mirror images of each on both sides of the rear of the tomb. The structure on the west side of the tomb is a
Mosque while the structure east of the tomb served primarily as symmetric balance, but it has also been understood the
Jawab may have been utilized as a guesthouse.
Finally, between the Great Gate and the tomb lie a highly-detailed, immensely symmetrical series of walkways and reflection pools know as the
Garden with many aspects pertaining to spiritual symbolism of Islam. As displayed in the photograph above, the walkways were constructed of red sandstone, similar to the outlying structures and a popular building product among the Mughal tombs.
The
Gardens, in addition to its profound symmetry, is noted to use quantities of four, the holiest number in Islam, and its multiples in several design aspects. The garden is divided into four parts, with two marble canals studded with fountains crossing in the center. In each quarter portion, there are 16 flowerbeds that have been divided by stone-paved raised pathways. It is even rumored each flowerbed has 400 plants.
Conclusion
Completed in the 17th century, the Taj Mahal remains one of the world's most beloved landmarks. A symbol of enduring love, the Taj Mahal was built with the finest products available to Shah Jahan during his reign as emperor. The main focus of this architectural design is the beautiful natural stone used, whether you look at the the tomb and its use of a beautiful, incandescent white marble or the magnificent, rich, red sandstone used to accent the Taj Mahal through its garden and surrounding structures.
