Grief-stricken when his favorite wife died during childbirth in 1631, Shah Jahan, one of India's richest and most powerful emperors, determined to build her a mausoleum "as beautiful as she was beautiful.' Through 19 years of marriage she had been his constant companion; she was called Mumtaz Mahal, "Chosen of the Palace." To build her a suitable monument, 20,000 expert craftsmen and laborers, summoned from all over India, Asia and even Europe, worked for 22 years. Shah Jahan, a Muslim, based his mausoleum on Islamic concepts, but native materials, motifs and craftsmanship were what finally gave the building its special quality. It is a brilliant fusion of Muslim and Hindu styles, the jewel in India's architectural diadem: the Taj Mahal.
EXQUISITELY PROPORTIONED, from minarets at each corner to central dome, the Taj Mahal is mirrored in a reflecting pool. Located on the banks of the
Sir near Agra, it was built of white marble brought from Markrana, 250 miles away. The red sandstone buildings are a mosque (left) and an assembly hall.
GRACEFUL PATTERNS of Muslim derivation, including arabesques and chevrons, decorate the octagonal faces of the Taj Mahal. Kiosks encircle the main dome, their tops capped by lotus blossoms, an ancient Hindu motif.
World History
