Taj Mahal Building and How It Connects With Islamic Buildings and Monuments - Essay Example

Taj Mahal is one of the eight wonders of the world, which was built by Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan was a Mughal emperor. Taj Mahal remains the finest of all Mughal architecture. The mausoleum is located in Agra India. Although built by an Indian king, Taj Mahal Taj, which was built from 1632 up to 1653, connects with other Islamic buildings and monuments such as in its inlays or tiling. The building is considered the most beautiful monument and a symbol of eternal love.

The monument is popular for its mix of Islamic, Indian, Byzantine, and Persian architecture. It is referred as “the Jewel of Muslim art” in addition to being a UNESCO world heritage site. This essay focuses on Taj Mahal building and how it connects to other Islamic monuments especially in the tiling and inlays. The architect who designed the monument is not known but it is thought that Ustad Ahmad Lahauri was the principal designer. However, several architects from different regions of the Islamic world participated in the designing.

Moreover, carvers, artists, artisans, laborers, and calligraphers from all over India must have worked together in doing the construction (Henzel 5-8). Materials used in the construction were obtained from all over India. Additionally, other material such as white marble were obtained from Rajasthan, jade and crystal from China, turquoise from Tibet, sapphire from Sri Lanka, Lapis lazuri from Afghanistan while the jasper was purchased from Punjab. The carnelian used was obtained from Arabia. The monument comprises of a tomb, gardens, gateways fountains, mosque located in the left, and a guesthouse located to the right.

Outside the gate, there are other tombs and mosques. The tombs are said to have belonged to other wives of Shah Jahan (Tillotson 22-34; Henzel 11-14). Taj Mahal is founded on a platform of about 6.6 meters above the ground and is spread over an area of about 93.9 sq. meters. Corner minarets are about 41.1 meters in height. The monument is square shaped but topped by five curved marble domes. The tomb is flanked using red sandstone while the rest of the mausoleum is made of glowing white marble.

The monument is characterized by perfect symmetry irrespective of the several striking elements. Some of the striking aspects include the style, color, shape, materials used in the construction and the location of the monument (Tillotson 61-65). The Taj Mahal connects to Islamic monuments especially in elements such as the religious theme depicted by the Quran inscriptions and presence of the mosque within the monument. Spiritual communication is one aspect that characterizes Islamic Architecture.

Moreover, the floral designs as well as the paintings are connected to Safavid style. Taj Mahal is a monument that acts as India’s landmark, a story of love preserve in marble (Tillotson 77-81; Henzel 22-26). Inside the building are pierced marble lattices used for lighting. The marble facings are designed in a way that they respond to change in lighting and weather making the building a spectacular sight especially in the morning and evening. The monument is considered to have some Islamic bearing due to the presence of a mosque, fountains, and tomb, which are features charactering buildings with Islamic architecture.

Moreover, elements of Islamic culture such as octagonal shape, the pishtaq, the iwan are integrated in the building. The decorative patterns depict Islamic architecture. Such patterns include calligraphy, geometry and the floral patterns. The floral patterns cover most surfaces and include frames and borders. The two entrances to the monument are similar and comprise of pointed arch