Art: Section III: The Taj Mahal: Analysis

Taj Mahal

"Crown of Palaces"; derived from Mumtaz Mahal's name; the modern name for the building

Tomb tower

A simple cylinder structure capped with a conical roof.

Tomb tower

A simple cylinder structure capped with a conical roof. The most popular Islamic burial form from the 11th century onwards. Reproduced, in more durable form, the monumental tents of the Turkic culture.

Double domes

Added strength to domes of pavilion-inspired tombs so that they could be made bigger.

Islamic tombs

An elaborate burial structure was generally considered indecent. Muslim rulers circumvented the perceived stricture against tomb building in ingenious ways.

Attached minarets

Buttressed the foundation of the building for pavilion-inspired tombs so that they could be made bigger

Prophet Muhammad

Declared that he didn't want an extravagant tomb; buried beneath the floor of a room in his house (following the concept of burial within a mosque, his house was the mosque)

Pavilion-inspired tombs

Efforts to create taller & taller structures led to various refinements: double domes; elongated drums; attached minarets; attenuation [reduction] of proportions

Garden pleasure pavilion

Intended as a place of shade within the grounds of an Islamic garden. Has a visual & conceptual connection relating to the Muslim idea of paradise as a garden & shade as a blessing of heaven.

Taj Mahal

It is ironic that "the most identifiable visual symbol of India, its 'place of memories', is a tomb built by a member of a minority community as an emblem of his love for his Persian wife"

707

Not 100 years after the Prophet Muhammad's death, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik built the Mosque of the Prophet over the Prophet Muhammad's tomb.

Basic domed square

Pavilion-inspired tombs follow this sort of plan, the simple structural form of which insured consistency in size, as it was limited by the scale of domes that Islamic architects were capable of engineering

Tomb tower

Reproduced, in more durable form, the monumental tents of the Turkic culture.

1631-1647

Taj Mahal when

Yamuna River

The Taj Mahal is located on the banks of this river, in Agra.

Islamic tombs

The elaborate nature of the Taj Mahal and other Mughal tombs was far evolved from the first Islamic burial

Taj Mahal

The most famous building in India, but NOT representative of Indian architecture or culture. It is anomalous, as a Muslim building and a tomb structure.

Tomb tower

The most popular Islamic burial form from the 11th century onwards.

Garden pleasure pavilion

What the Taj Mahal structure is based on.

Attenuation of proportions

Gave a visual sense of increased elevation to pavilion-inspired domes

the holy tomb

In Shahjahan's time, the Taj Mahal was called "the building of the illuminated tomb" or "the building of the pure tomb"

the building of the pure tomb

In Shahjahan's time, the Taj Mahal was called "the holy tomb" or "the building of the illuminated tomb"

the building of the illuminated tomb

In Shahjahan's time, the Taj Mahal was called "the holy tomb" or "the building of the pure tomb"

Elongated drums

Increased the height of domes of pavilion-inspired tombs so that they could be made bigger.