Krystal--Taj+Mahal

** __ History  __ ** The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful and most expensive tombs in the world. It is located in Arga, India and was built between 1630 he was and 1648 by Shah Johan. He was the Muslim leader of India. The Taj Mahal was built as a memorial for Shah Jahan’s wife Arjumond Banu who he affectionately called Mumtaz Mahal which means “Ornament of the Palace.” (AVL Britannica middle Taj Mahal article) Shah Jahan married Arjumand in 612. They married at the age of twenty one and have been together for nine teen years. They were deeply in love with each other and were inseparable. Arjumand Banu died in 1631 while giving birth to their fourteenth child (Arpan Gandhi). Shah Jahan’s grief lead him to build the Taj Mahal. (AVL Britannica middle Taj Mahal article) This beautiful building is a symbol of his love for his wife. Shah Jahan was planning on building himself a black tomb but it never came to be. His son imprisoned him so he can have the Taj Mahal for himself. Instead Shah Jahan was left alone in his prison gazing at the Taj Mahal in a small mirror and died. He was later buried next to his wife in a vault below at garden level. (Talyrakhan page 37) ** __ Architecture  __ ** It took twenty two years and twenty thousand workers to complete the Taj Mahal (world book 19T page 18). It was designed by a Turkish architect by the name of Isa Muhammad Effandi who was the greatest architect of his time (world-mysteries.com). Its architecture is a mixture of Persian, Indian, Islamic and Ottomon styles. It was completed in 1648 and it cost 32 million rupees. (cuberistan.org) The Taj Mahal is made of white marble and sits on a platform made of red sandstone. On every corner of the platform, there is a prayer written on it. Each tower is 133 feet high and the dome is 70 feet in diameter and 120 feet high. (AVL Britannica middle Taj Mahal article) The white marble surfaces sparkle in the pool, and Arabic inscriptions describe the beautiful gardens that surround the mausoleum (Brooks page 77). Passages from the Koran are decorated on the outside with floral patterns. The entire complex is a rectangle that measures 1,900 feet by 1,000 feet. There is a mausoleum at the north end on each side by identical buildings. The mausoleum is set with gardens and other buildings. Inside, there is an eight-sided room filled with monuments to Shah Jahan and his wife. It was completed in 1648 C.E and cost 32 million rupees. (AVL Britannica middle Taj Mahal article) ** __ Present  __ ** Right now, the Taj Mahal is a great tourist attraction. It also is a great piece of history. Many people come to visit the Taj Mahal every year and it is very important to the people of India. This piece of history has been named the seventh wonder of the world. People around the world should consider visiting the Taj Mahal.(Arpan Gandhi) ** __ Why it’s important  __ ** The Taj Mahal is important because it is a large and an old piece of history that still stands today. Many people today believe that there is more to the story of the Taj Mahal. The architecture is very rare and it is like nothing a lot of people have ever seen. It is the most popular and the most famous attraction in India. ** __ Future  __ ** In the future, the Taj Mahal will still be a tourist attraction. Most likely scientist will find more information on it, and solve all of mysteries behind it. Since it is so important to the people of India, they will protect it and try to prevent it from falling apart. Maybe a lot more people will come and visit the Taj Mahal over the years. The Taj Mahal is the most beautiful, spectacular, and the rarest building I’ve ever seen. I am surprised that this building is still standing today. Wouldn’t it be cool if your husband did the same for you?
 * __The Taj Mahal__  **

 Work Cited Brooks , Laura. // Monuments: Masterpieces of Architecture. // Singapore: Silver Burdett, 1975. Dr.  A. Zahoor and zDr. Z. Haq “Taj Mahal”. 1990, 1997   Gandhi , Arpan “Taj Mahal” www.personal.psu.edu accessed on 28 October 2010 “Taj  Mahal”. www.cyberistan.org accessed on 28 October 2010 []  “Taj  Mahal”. Campton’s by Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2010. Web. 27 Oct. 2010