The Taj Mahal: the White Mausoleum of Agra

Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and continued for more than twenty years. To realise this ambitious project, the finest craftsmen of the time were brought to Agra: architects from Persia, calligraphers from Shiraz, stonemasons from Central Asia and more than twenty thousand labourers. The centrepiece of the complex is a vast mausoleum made of rare, pure Makran marble, which was transported to the building site over hundreds of kilometres on carts drawn by oxen and elephants.

The Taj Mahal’s principal architectural feature is its flawless, mathematically precise symmetry. The building was designed according to the “hasht-behesht” (eight gardens of paradise) principle and has an identical façade on all four sides. Even the four massive minarets framing the platform have been positioned with meticulous engineering: they are slightly tilted outwards from the main building. This was done so that, in the event of a devastating earthquake, the heavy towers would fall to the side without damaging the mausoleum’s main dome.

The intricate decorative work on the walls is particularly impressive. As Islamic traditions prohibited the depiction of people and animals, the interior and exterior of the building were adorned with highly complex floral motifs and calligraphy featuring verses from the Qur’an. The engineers employed the Florentine “pietra dura” inlay technique: the finest grooves were carved into the solid marble, into which thousands of semi-precious stones — jasper, malachite, turquoise, jade and lapis lazuli — were set by hand. Thanks to this technique and the polishing, the mausoleum possesses a unique optical quality: at dawn it appears a delicate pink, during the day a dazzling white, and in the moonlight it takes on a mysterious golden hue.