The Taj Mahal “crown of palaces”, pronounced also “the Taj” is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, 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.”
Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish and Indian architectural styles.
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the white domed 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.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. Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer
In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire’s period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan’s grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later
To watch more documentaries visit the Love Documentaries website.
Listening exercise
Fill in the gaps.
1) The Taj Mahal is the symbol of India, an __________________ jewel, a monument to a __________ passion.
2) The chosen one of the palace will have her final ______________ in the world’s most beautiful building.
3) The ______________________of the Taj Mahal hide a secret.
4) It was built in one of the most ______________ periods of Indian History. The time of the Moguls with their ___________empire and ________________.
5) The building that emerged from Shah Jahan’s plans perfectly combines __________ and _______________, power and beauty.
6) Taj mahal means “____________________”.
7) The __________________of the Taj Mahal is the tomb for Mumtaz Mahal, the love of Shah Jahan’s life. In her memory, the great Mogul created this eternal love poem in stone.
8) The building of the Taj _______________in 1632. , an army of elephants began _________________construction materials to the Mogul capital. This would be the biggest building project___________________.
9) In a few short years, the _____________ of the Taj Mahal was complete, ready to be ____________in__________________ at colossal expense.
10) The great Mogul engineers dig deep wells to below the water table, then they fill them up with rocks and _________. On this base, the master builders erect stone columns linked together by massive arches. The result, a solid mountain of stone to support the __________________of the building, protecting the Taj from the currents of the Yamuna River forever.
KEY
1) architectural /ˌɑːkɪˈtektʃərəl/; grand
2) resting place
3) magnificent chambers
4) glorious
mighty
fabulous riches.
mighty
fabulous riches.
5) grace and scale (size)
6) crown of the palace
7) inner sanctum (/ˈsæŋktəm/ 1. a private room where somebody can go and not be disturbed. E.g. She once allowed me into her inner sanctum. 2 a holy place)
8) commenced
dragging
of the age
9) shell
clad (+in sth: dressed)
flawless marble.
10) Mortar (a mixture of sand, water, lime and cement used in building for holding bricks and stones together)
foundation slab (a thick flat piece of stone, wood or other hard material. Sp. Bloque. E.g. a slab of marble/concrete. The road was paved with smooth stone slabs.)
Transcript:
The Taj Mahal – Symbol of India , architectural jewel, monument to a grand passion. The Taj Mahal was built in the 17th century by Shah Jahan, king of the world, ruler of India’s mighty Mogul Empire.
This great warrior king gave the world an architectural masterpiece of a kind that it had never seen before. This is how it came to be made. It’s also the legend of his queen, the beautiful Mumtaz Mahal, and of their love, too perfect to survive. The chosen one of the palace will have her final resting place in the world’s most beautiful building. But the magnificent chambers of the Taj Mahal hide a secret. And Shah Jahan will pay a terrible price to complete his life’s work at a turning point in India’s history.
Today, the Taj Mahal is one of the world’s greatest tourist attractions. Every year more than 3 million people come to see humanity’s loveliest building with their own eyes. But for the Indian nation, the Taj Mahal is much more than an architectural masterpiece.
“This is one of the monuments that makes India what it is, that gives the people their identity, it makes them proud. This building is a symbol for the whole nation.” The Taj Mahal was built in one of the most glorious periods of Indian history. The time of the Moguls with their mighty empire and fabulous riches. Its creator, a man who dedicated his life to a dream, great Mogul Shah Jahan. The building that emerged from his plans, perfectly combines grace and scale, power and beauty. The Taj Mahal, “crown of the palace”. The inner sanctum of the Taj is a tomb for Mumtaz Mahal, the love of Shah Jahan’s life. In her memory, the great Mogul created this eternal love poem in stone.
The building of the Taj commenced in 1632, an army of elephants began dragging construction materials to the Mogul capital. This would be the biggest building project of the age. In a few short years, the shell of the Taj Mahal was complete, ready to be clad in flawless marble at colossal expense.
The location of the Taj on the banks of the Yamuna River was a special challenge.
“Close to water you rarely find ground solid enough to build on. So you have to dig down until you hit hard dry earth. They came up with a brilliant solution to this problem. One that is still used today in a slightly different form. They decided to build a well foundation. That was a revolutionary idea for those times”.
The great Mogul engineers dig deep wells to below the water table, then they fill them up with rocks and mortar. On this base, the master builders erect stone columns linked together by massive arches. The result, a solid mountain of stone to support the foundation slab of the building, protecting the Taj from the currents of the Yamuna River forever.
The Taj Mahal must always stand as a testament to the eternal power of love. It will be the legacy of Shah Jahan.
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