SEPTEMBER SEMESTER 2020

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1
(ARCH 1311)

ASSIGNMENT 3
(ARTICLE)

MATRIC NO. : 202022086

NAME : IZZAH SYAZANA BINTI IBRAHIM

LECTURER : SHARYZEE MOHMAD SHUKRI

Topic: Design Influences on Taj Mahal
1. INTRODUCTION
The Tāj Mahal (Hindi: ताज महल; Persian/
Urdu: ‫ )تاج محال‬is a monument designed by a
workforce of 22,000 between 1631 and 1654,
located in Agra, India. For his favorite queen,
Arjumand Bano Begum, who is best known as
Mumtāz, the Mughal emperor Shāh Jahān
commissioned its construction as a mausoleum.
In general, the Taj Mahal (sometimes
referred to as "the Taj") is considered the finest
example of Mughal architecture, a style that
blends Persian, Indian and Islamic elements. Due
to the romance of its inspiration, the Taj Mahal
has gained special notice. Although the most
familiar element of the monument is the white
domed marble mausoleum, the Taj Mahal is
actually an integrated array of structures.
Taj Mahal
2. ORIGIN AND INSPIRATION
Shāh Jahān, who commissioned the
monument, was a prolific [lover] with resources
which were practically unlimited. In memory of
his wife, Mumtaz, he had earlier built the gardens
and palaces of Shalimar. Shah Jahan was
supposedly inconsolable after her death in
childbirth (she had already borne him fourteen
children); the court chronicler 'Abd al-Hamid
Lahawri tells us that the emperor had twenty
white hairs in his beard before her death, but
several more afterward. The contemporary court
chroniclers paid an extraordinary amount of
attention to the death of Mumtaz Mahal and the
sorrow of Shah Jahan at her demise, and it may
well be that there is possibly some basis for the
typical "love-story" associated with the
construction of the Taj. The Taj Mahal started not
long after the death of Mumtaz in 1631. Seventeen
years later, the principal mausoleum was
completed, and five years after that, the
surrounding buildings and garden. The French
traveler François Bernier gave the following
description of the Taj Mahal and Shah Jahan's
motive for building it while visiting Agra in 1663:
“I will complete this letter with a description
of the two marvelous mausoleums that constitute
Agra's chief dominance over Delhi. In honor of
his father Ekbar, one was erected by Jehan-
guyre[sic]; and Chah-Jehan raised the other to the
memory of his wife Tage Mehale, the
extraordinary and celebrated beauty, of which her
husband was so enamored, it is said that during
her lifetime he was constant to her, and at her
death was so affected as to almost follow her to
the grave.”
3. LOCATION
In Agra, where he took the throne in 1628,
Shah Jahan founded the Taj Mahal. First
conquered in the eleventh century by Muslim
invaders, the city was transformed under Shah
Jahan's rule into a thriving center of trade.
Located on the banks of the Yamuna River, Agra
soon earned its reputation as a "riverfront garden
city" because of its meticulously designed
gardens, lush in the sixteenth century with
flowering bushes and fruit-bearing trees.
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
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4. INFLUENCES BEHIND THE TAJ
MAHAL DESIGN
The Taj Mahal integrates many design
traditions, particularly Hindu, Ottoman, and
earlier Mughal architecture, and expands on them.
A number of successful Timurid and Mughal
buildings provided inspiration for the overall
design. These include the Gur-e Amir (Timur's
tomb, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in
Samarkand), the Tomb of Humayun, the Tomb of
Itmad-Ud-Daulah (sometimes referred to as the
Baby Taj), and his own Jama Masjid. Mughal
architecture achieved new heights of
sophistication under Shah Jahan's patronage;
while previous Mughal buildings were mostly
built of red sandstone, Shah Jahan encouraged the
use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious
stones.
During this time, Hindu artisans, especially
sculptors and stonecutters, traded throughout Asia,
and their work was particularly appreciated by
tomb builders. While the rock-cut architecture
that characterizes much of this building had little
effect on the Taj Mahal (carvings are just one
form of the decorative element), other Indian
buildings such as the Man Singh Palace in
Gwalior were an inspiration for much of the
architecture of the Mughal palace and the source
of the chhatris that can be seen on the Taj Mahal.
5. DESIGN ELEMENTS
In the entire complex, consistent repetitive
design components are used. These unify the
complex with a single language of aesthetics.
Throughout the complex, significant
architectural features of the tomb are repeated —
both the tomb and the outlying buildings.
•Finial: The ornamental crowning feature of the
Taj Mahal domes
•Lotus Decoration: Representation of the lotus
flower carved on the tops of domes
•Onion Dome: The huge outer dome of the Tomb
(also called an amrud or apple dome)
•Drum: The onion dome's cylindrical base, lifting
it from the main building
•Guldasta: Attached decorative spire to the edge
of the supporting walls
•Chattri: A columned and domed kiosk
•Spandrel: The archway's upper panels
•Calligraphy: Writing stylised verses from the
Qur’an framing the main arches
•Arch: Pishtaq is also named (Persian word for
portal projecting from the facade of a building)
•Dado: Sculpted decorative panels that line the
lower walls
6. THE GARDEN
A broad Charbagh is set in and around the
complex (a formal Mughal garden divided into
four parts). The garden has sunken parterres or
flowerbeds measuring 320 m x 300 m, elevated
paths, avenues of trees, fountains, water courses,
and pools representing the Taj Mahal.
By raised paths, each of the four quarters of
the garden is divided into 16 flowerbeds. At the
center of the yard, halfway between the tomb and
the gateway, an elevated marble water tank
represents the Taj Mahal.
The first Mughal emperor, Babur, introduced
the Charbagh garden to India, a style influenced
by Persian gardens. The Charbagh is intended to
portray the Paradise Gardens (from the Persian
paridaeza — a walled garden). Paradise as
described as the ideal garden, filled with
abundance, in mystical Islamic texts of the
Mughal era. In these descriptions, water plays a
key role: in Paradise, these texts state that four
rivers emerge from a central spring or mountain,
and divide the garden from the north, west, south,
and east.
Most Mughal Charbagh’s, with a central
tomb or pavilion in the center of the garden, are
rectangular in shape. When the key feature, the
tomb, is situated at the end rather than at the
middle of the garden, the Taj Mahal garden is
unique. But the presence on the other side of the
Yamuna of the newly discovered Mahtab Bagh or
"Moonlight Garden" gives a different
interpretation—that the Yamuna itself was
integrated into the design of the garden and was
intended to be used as one of the Paradise Rivers.
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 Similar to Shalimar's, the layout of the garden
and its architectural features, such as its fountains,
brick and marble walkways, geometric brick-
lined flowerbeds, etc., indicate that the garden
may have been planned by the same engineer, Ali
Mardan.
Early accounts of the garden identify its
vegetation profusion, including in abundance
roses, daffodils, and fruit trees. As the Mughal
Empire diminished, so did the tending of the
garden. They changed the landscaping to more
resemble the formal lawns of London when the
British took over the management of the Taj
Mahal.
Walkways beside reflecting pool
incorporates its pishtaq arches. It uses decorations
of bas-relief and pietra dura (inlaid) with floral
motifs. Like those found in the other sandstone
buildings of the site, the vaulted ceilings and walls
have intricate geometric patterns.
Two wide red sandstone buildings open out
to the sides of the tomb at the far end of the
complex. Their backs parallel the walls of the
west and east.
Exact mirror copies of each other are the two
houses. The western building is a mosque; the
opposite is the Jawab, or "answer" whose main
aim was to match architecture (and which may
have been used as a guesthouse during Mughal
times). The differences are that the Jawab lacks a
mihrab, a niche in the wall of a mosque facing
Mecca, and the Jawab floors have a geometric
design, while the outlines of 569 prayer rugs in
black marble were laid out on the mosque floor.
The basic design of the mosque is similar to
the others constructed by Shah Jahan, particularly
his Jama Masjid in Delhi: a long hall surmounted
by three domes. The sanctuary hall divides the
Mughal mosques of this time into three areas: a
main sanctuary with slightly smaller sanctuaries
on either side. Each sanctuary at the Taj Mahal
opens onto an enormous vaulting dome.

7. BUILDINGS OUTLYING
A crenellated red sandstone wall on three
sides surrounds the Taj Mahal complex. The side
of the river facing it is unwalled. Several
additional mausoleums are outside the wall,
including those of several other wives of Shah
Jahan, and a larger tomb for Mumtaz's favorite
servant. These buildings, mainly composed of red
sandstone, are representative of the era's smaller
Mughal tombs. Interior of Jawab
The wall is fronted by columned arcades on
the inner (garden) side, a feature typical of Hindu
temples later incorporated into Mughal mosques.
The wall is interspersed with domed kiosks and
tiny buildings that may have been viewing areas
or watching towers (such as the so-called Music
House, now used as a museum).
A monumental structure constructed
predominantly of red sandstone is the main
gateway (darwaza). The style is reminiscent of
that of earlier emperors in Mughal architecture. Its
archways reflect the form of the archways of the
tomb, and the calligraphy that decorates the tomb Gateway to the Taj Mahal

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8. TOMB through the tomb's roof and provide the interior
with illumination. The chattris are also topped
The white marble tomb is the highlight of the with gilded finishes.
Taj Mahal. The basic elements are Persian in
Tall decorative spires (guldastas) stretch
nature, like most Mughal tombs: a symmetrical
from the edges of the base walls and provide the
building with an iwan, an arch-shaped doorway,
height of the dome with visual emphasis.
topped by a wide dome.
On both the Chattris and Guldastas, the
Standing on a square plinth is the crypt. A
lotus motif is repeated.
broad, multi-chambered structure is the base
structure. The main chamber contains the Shah
Jahan and Mumtaz cenotaphs (the actual graves
are a level below).

The base is essentially a chamfered-edge

cube, approximately 55 meters on each side. A
massive pishtaq, or vaulted archway, frames the
iwan on the long sides, with a comparable arch-
shaped balcony above. With the use of an
integrated facade, these principal arches rise
above the roof of the building.

Additional pishtaqs are stacked above and

below on either side of the principal arch. In the Base, dome, and minaret
chamfered corner regions, this motif of stacked
pishtaqs is repeated.

On all sides of the building, the architecture 10. FINIAL

is fully standardized and consistent. The tomb is
framed by four minarets, one at each angle of the
plinth, facing the chamfered corners.
9. DOME
Its most impressive feature is the marble
dome surmounting the crypt. Its height is about
the same size, about 35 m, as the base of the
building. Its height is emphasized because it sits
about 7 m high on a cylindrical "drum".
The dome is often called an onion dome
because of its shape (also called an amrud or
guava dome). A lotus pattern is decorated at the
top of the dome, which helps to accentuate its
height. A gilded finish surmounts the dome,
which combines typical Islamic and Hindu
decorative elements.
The main dome is surmounted by a gilded
spire or finish. Until the early 1800s, the finish
was made of gold, but is now made of bronze. A
strong example of the fusion of traditional Islamic
and Hindu decorative elements is provided by the
finale. A crescent moon, a traditional Islamic
motif whose horns point toward heaven,
surmounts the finish. The horns of the moon and
the final point combine to create a trident shape,
reminiscent of Shiva's traditional Hindu symbols,
because of its location on the main spire.
Similarly, a variety of bulbous shapes make
up the spire. The central shape resembles a Hindu
holy water vessel in a striking way (kalash or
Kumbh).

Four smaller domed chattris (kiosks)

positioned at its corners emphasise the dome
shape. The domes of the Chattri mimic the main
dome's onion shape. Their columned bases open

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Finial
11. MINARETS
Minarets stand at the corners of the plinth:
four wide towers, each more than 40 m tall. The
minarets again reflect the fundamental penchant
of the Taj Mahal for symmetrical, repeated
architecture.
The towers are built as working minarets, a
traditional mosque feature, a place for a muezzin
to call prayer to the Islamic faithful. Each
minaret is effectively divided by two functioning
balconies that surround the tower into three
equal sections. There is a final balcony at the top
of the tower surmounted by a chattri, which
mirrors the style of those on the tomb.
The same final touches are shared by the
minaret chattris: a lotus pattern topped by a
gilded finish. Each of the minarets was built
slightly outside the plumb to the outside of the
plinth, so that the material would appear to fall
away from the tomb in the event of collapse (a
common occurrence for many other tall
constructions of the period).
12. DECORATION
12.1. Exterior Decoration
Almost every surface of the whole
complex was decorated. The Taj Mahal's exterior
decorations are among the finest of any time to
be found in Mughal architecture.
Once again, in the complex, decorative
motifs are replicated. The decorations are
proportionally refined as the surface area
changes—a large pishtaq has more area than a
smaller one.
The decorative elements come in three
groups, essentially:
• Calligraphy
• Abstract geometric elements
• Vegetative motifs
The use of anthropomorphic representations
was forbidden by Islamic strictures.
In three ways, the decorative elements were
created:
• Paint or stucco applied to the wall
surface
• Stone inlay
• Carvings
12.1.1. Calligraphy
They are used as decorative elements in the
complex passages of the Qur'an. The calligraphy
is a florid and practically illegible script of thuluth,
created by the Persian calligrapher of the Mughal
court, Amanat Khan, who resided at the Mughal
court. Several of the committees he has signed.
Jasper inlaid in white marble panels is used
to render the calligraphy. Some of the work is
highly informative and sensitive (especially that
found on the marble cenotaphs in the tomb). As
viewed from below, higher panels are drawn
slightly larger to reduce the skewing effect.
Recent research indicates that the passages
were chosen by Amanat Khan as well. The texts
refer to judgment themes: death for unbelievers,
and Paradise's promise for the faithful. The
passages include: Surah 91 (The Sun), Surah 112
(The Purity of Faith), Surah 89 (Daybreak),
Surah 93 (Morning Light), Surah 95 (The Fig),
Surah 94 (The Solace), Surah 36 (Ya Sin), Surah
81 (The Folding Up), Surah 82 (The Cleaving
Asunder), Surah 84 (The Rending Asunder),
Surah 98 (The Evidence), Surah 67 (Dominion),
Surah 48 (Victory), Surah 77 (Those Sent Forth)
and Surah 39 (The Crowds).
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 Calligraphy on large pishtaq

Herringbone

12.1.2. Abstract Geometric

12.1.3. Vegetative motifs
Decoration
White marble dados, which have been
Particularly in the plinth, minarets, gateway, sculpted with realistic bas relief
mosque, and Jawab, and to a lesser extent on the representations of flowers and vines, are the
surfaces of the tomb, abstract forms are used. lower walls of the crypt. To highlight the
With tracery of incised carving, the domes and exquisite detailing of these carvings, the
vaults of the sandstone buildings are employed to marble has been polished.
produce intricate geometric shapes. (The method
of incised painting is to scratch a channel in the
stone and then lay over the surface a thick paint or
stucco plaster. The paint is then scraped off the
stone surface, leaving paint in the incision.)

The space between adjoining components is

defined by herringbone inlays in most joining
areas. White inlays, dark or black inlays on the
white marble of the tomb and minarets are used
in the sandstone buildings. Mortared parts of the
marble buildings have been stained or painted
black, adding great ambiguity in geometric Decorated with pietra dura inlays of
designs. highly stylised, almost geometric vines, flowers
and fruits, the given frames and archway
Floors and walkways use contrasting tiles or
spandrels. Yellow marble, jasper and jade,
blocks in patterns of tessellation throughout.
levelled and polished to the wall surface, are the
inlay stones.

Incised painting Spandrel detail

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13. INTERIOR DECORATION
The Taj Mahal's inner chamber goes far
beyond conventional decorative elements.
Without exaggeration, one may say that this
chamber is a work of jewellery.
Here, the job on inlay is not pietra dura,
but lapidary. The inlay content is not marble or
jade, but gemstones which are precious and
semiprecious. Every decorative feature of the
exterior of the tomb has been redefined by the art
of jewelery.
13.1. The Inner Chamber
The Taj Mahal's inner chamber holds the
Mumtaz and Shah Jahan cenotaphs. It is a
masterpiece, almost without precedent or
equivalent, of artistic craftsmanship.
An octagon is the inner chamber. Although
the architecture permits entry from either side,
only the south door (garden facing) is used.
The interior walls are approximately 25 m
wide, surmounted by a "false" interior dome
adorned with a sun motif.
The space at ground level is defined by eight
Pishtaq arches. As is common with the exterior,
about halfway up the wall, each lower pishtaq is
crowned by a second pishtaq. The four central
upper arches form balconies or viewing areas; the
exterior window of each balcony has an elaborate
marble-cut screen or jali.
Besides the illumination from the balcony
windows, at the corners of the exterior dome, light
enters through roof openings hidden by the
chattris.
Each of the chamber walls was highly
decorated with dada bas relief, intricate lapidary
inlay and refined calligraphy panels, representing
the design elements seen throughout the
complex's exterior in miniature detail.
Screen surrounding cenotaphs
13.2. The Jali
Eight marble panels are composed of the
octagonal marble screen or jali that borders the
cenotaphs. With complex piercework, every panel
has been carved through. The remaining surfaces
have been inlaid in extremely delicate detail with
semiprecious stones, creating twining vines, fruits
and flowers.
13.3. The Cenotaphs
Muslim custom prohibits elaborate grave
decoration, so Mumtaz and Shah Jahan's bodies
are deposited in a relatively simple chamber
beneath the Taj Mahal's inner chamber. On the
north-south axis, with faces turning right (west)
toward Mecca, they are buried.
The Taj Mahal was raised above their
cenotaphs (from Greek keno taphas, empty tomb).
The cenotaphs exactly mirror the location of the
two graves, and are exact duplicates of the grave
stones below in the basement.
At the exact center of the inner chamber,
Mumtaz's cenotaph is located. On a rectangular
marble base, a smaller marble casket is around 1.5
by 2.5 m. With precious and semi-precious stones,
both the foundation and the casket are elaborately
inlaid. Calligraphic inscriptions describe and
praise Mumtaz on the casket. There is a raised
rectangular lozenge on the lid of the casket
intended to suggest a writing pad.
Shah Jahan's cenotaph on the western side is
next to Mumtaz's. It is the only asymmetrical
feature in the complex as a whole. His cenotaph is
larger than that of his wife, but represents the
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same elements: a larger casket on a slightly taller
base, decorated again with lapidary and
calligraphy that identifies Shah Jahan with
astonishing precision. A sculpture of a small pen
box is placed on the lid of this casket. (The pen
box and writing tablet were typical Mughal
funeral icons that adorned the caskets of men and
women, respectively.)
Cenotaphs, Interior of the Taj Mahal
13.4. Details Of Lapidary
Arch of jali, entry to cenotaphs
Delicate piercework
Inlay detail
Inlay detail
14. CONCLUSION
To conclude, every Indian takes pride in the
beauty and heritage of the Taj Mahal. This
memorial is popular in the world. Every year,
about 2 to 4 million individuals come to visit the
Taj Mahal. The monument's beauty and past
draws tourists the most and makes it popular all
over the world.
15. REFERENCES
Taj Mahal. 2021. Taj Mahal. [ONLINE]
Available
at: https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/
wpcd/wp/t/Taj_Mahal.htm. [Accessed 22
February 2021].
Asia Highlights. 2021. Top 10 Architectural
Features of the Taj Mahal | Asia Highlights.
[ONLINE] Available
at: https://www.asiahighlights.com/india/taj-
mahal-top-architectural-features. [Accessed 22
February 2021].
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Khan Academy. 2021. The Taj Mahal.
[ONLINE] Available
at: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-
art-history/south-east-se-asia/india-art/a/the-taj-
mahal. [Accessed 22 February 2021].

Toppr. 2021. Essay on Taj Mahal for Students

and Children. [ONLINE] Available
at: https://www.toppr.com/guides/essays/taj-
mahal-
essay/#:~:text=In%20conclusion%2C%20every
%20Indian%20takes,famous%20all%20over%20
the%20world.. [Accessed 22 February 2021].