One can never tire of seeing the Taj Mahal. This was my third trip and I was still in awe of this beautiful monument that is considered to be one of the wonders of the world. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is described as "the epitome of love", "a monument of immeasurable beauty" and is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".
The white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal but it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia and over 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials. The translucent white marble was brought from Makrana, Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from Tibet and the Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, while the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the carnelian from Arabia. In all, twenty eight types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white marble.
A labour force of twenty thousand workers was recruited across northern India. Sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlayers from southern India, stonecutters from Baluchistan, a specialist in building turrets, another who carved only marble flowers were part of the thirty-seven men who formed the creative unit.
The Taj Mahal mosque
Beautiful embellishments
The Great Gate
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