Only the Best Artisans of the Time Were Brought in by Shah Jahan to Build the Tomb For

Name ______Core ______Date ______

The Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world, and some Western historians have noted that its architectural beauty has never been surpassed. Three hundred years after the completion of the Taj Mahal, the identity of its architect is unknown. What is known is that the gleaming white marble structure stands as a monument to a husbands grief. It is also a symbol of how India blends several ideas from the many people who settled India. A Muslim built it using Islamic and Persian styles of architecture.

Only the best artisans of the time were brought in by Shah Jahan to build the tomb for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to her fourteenth child.

Stonecutters and masons, engineers and sculptors, gold inlayers and calligraphers- 37 in all- made up the group of artisans. Work began in 1632. More than 20,000 people labored 22 years to bring Shah Jahan’s vision to reality.

Teams of 30 oxen pulled huge marble blocks. The builders used marble everywhere- for the 58-foot diameter dome, for the walls inlaid with precious stones, and for window coverings carved thinly to allow light to shine through.

Archway leads to the mausoleum, or crypt. A three-storied gateway with sandstone and inlaid marble marks the entrance. Pure white marble changes with the changing light. Soft curves, straight lines, and the distribution of solids and empty spaces make the Taj Mahal pleasing to the eye.

A visitor in 1670 said that it was “arches upon arches.” Another declared that the mind saw “an entire harmony of parts, a faultless congregation of architectural beauties on which it could dwell forever without fatigue.

The Taj Mahal started out as a wooden model that was studied and altered until all the changes were made for construction. Today, tourists from all over the world visit Agra to make a pilgrimage to Taj Mahal, India’s most famous architectural wonder, in a land where magnificent temples remind visitors about the rich civilization of a country that is slowly but surely lifting itself into an industrialized society as well.

Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace" the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold has described The Taj as "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones." It is a romance celebrated in marble and glorified with precious and semi-precious stones and that’s the way to appreciate it!

The Taj Mahal attracts from 2 to 4 million visitors annually, with more than 200,000 from overseas. Most tourists visit in the cooler months of October, November and February. Polluting traffic is not allowed near the complex and tourists must either walk from parking lots or catch an electric bus.

Name ______Core ______Date ______

Multiple Choice: Circle the letter of the choice the best completes the statement. (2 points each)

1)Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the…

a)Eight Wonders of the World

b)Nine Wonders of the World

c)Five Wonders of the World

d)Seven Wonders of the World

2)Work began on the Taj Mahal in what year?

a)1635

b)1670

c)1632

d)2002

3)The identity of Taj Mahal, architect is...

a)Mumtaz Mahal

b)Shah Jahan

c)Sir Edwin Arnold

d)Unknown

4)Taj Mahal means…

a)Faultless Archway

b)Crown Palace

c)HighCastle

d)Crown Fortress

5)The Taj Mahal attracts how many visitors annually?

a)3 to 5 Million

b)2 to 3 Million

c)2 to 4 Million

d)6 to 8 Million

Directions:In the space below draw a picture of the Taj Mahal.(5 points)