Is this the most beautiful building in the world? - Stephanie Honchell Smith
It’s 1631 in Burhanpur,
and Mumtaz Mahal, beloved wife
of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan,
is giving birth to their 14th child.
A healthy girl is born,
but not without difficulty.
Shah Jahan rushes to Mumtaz’s side,
but he cannot save her.
Sobbing uncontrollably,
the emperor decides to build a tomb
worthy of his queen:
an earthly replica of Paradise
to embody their perfect love
and project the power
of the Mughal Empire for all time.
Construction of the Taj Mahal began
roughly seven months later.
Royal architects worked to bring
Shah Jahan’s vision to life
at a site chosen by the emperor
in the bustling imperial city of Agra.
The Yamuna riverfront was already
dotted with exquisite residences,
gardens, and mausoleums.
But when complete, the Taj Mahal would be
the most magnificent structure of all.
In addition to housing Mumtaz’s mausoleum,
the plans included a garden, mosque,
bazaar, and several caravanserais
to house visiting merchants and diplomats.
Together, this complex
would seamlessly blend
Persian, Islamic, Indian,
and European styles,
establishing the Taj Mahal
as the culmination
of Mughal architectural achievement.
The entire compound was laid
out on a geometric grid,
incorporating meticulously planned
bilateral symmetry.
To further establish an atmosphere
of balance and harmony,
the architects divided the
complex into two spheres,
representing the spiritual
and earthly domains.
Most of the structures were made
of brick and red sandstone,
with white marble accents.
This was a common motif
in Mughal architecture,
inspired by ancient Indian traditions
associating white with spiritual purity
and red with warriors and royalty.
But the central mausoleum took more
inspiration from the Islamic tradition.
Framed by four minarets,
the structure was covered entirely
in white marble
from quarries over 400 kilometers away.
Its main dome towered above the skyline,
and those within the cavernous
chamber experienced
an otherworldly echo lasting
almost 30 seconds.
Perfecting the Italian
stone-working technique, pietra dura,
craftsmen used all manner of semi-precious
stones to create intricate floral designs
representing the eternal gardens
of Paradise.
Calligraphers covered the walls
with Quranic inscriptions.
And because the Islamic depiction
of Paradise has eight gates,
the mausoleum’s rooms were designed
to be octagonal.
The garden in front of the mausoleum
was split into four parts
in the Persian style,
but its flora reflected the Mughals’
nomadic Central Asian heritage.
Flowers and trees were carefully
selected to add color,
sweet scents, and fresh fruit
to be sold in the bazaar.
Masons built intersecting walkways, pools,
and channels of water
to weave through the lush greenery.
Even before its completion,
Shah Jahan used the Taj to host the
annual commemoration of Mumtaz’s death,
celebrating her reunification
with the Divine.
Directly across the river, Shah Jahan
built another sprawling garden
with a central pool that perfectly
reflected the mausoleum.
Building this intricate complex
took 12 years
and employed thousands
of skilled craftsmen and artisans,
from masons and bricklayers
to masters of pietra dura and calligraphy.
After the Taj was completed in 1643,
Shah Jahan retained some of these
craftsmen for routine repairs,
and hired Quran reciters, caretakers,
and other staff to maintain the complex.
He paid these workers by establishing
a vast endowment for the Taj—
a system which remained in place
until the early 19th century.
Since its completion, Shah Jahan’s
grand memorial has drawn travelers
from around the world.
And every time a visitor
is awed by the mausoleum,
the emperor’s goal is achieved anew.
Unfortunately, after 15 years
of presiding over Mumtaz’s memorial,
Shah Jahan fell ill and a war
of succession broke out between his sons.
While Shah Jahan eventually recovered,
his son, Aurangzeb,
had already emerged as the new emperor.
For the last eight years of his life,
Shah Jahan lived under house arrest
in Agra’s Fort,
where he could see the Taj glimmering
in the distance.
When he died in 1666,
he was buried next to Mumtaz,
his grave breaking the complex’s symmetry,
so that his wife could remain
at the Taj’s center for all eternity.
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