Taj+Mahal

=History = The islamic traditions of architecture were brought to northern India by the persian invaders of the 11th and 12th centuries and were continued from the 15th to the 18th centuries in the architecture of the Mogul dynasties. The distinctions between secular and religious buildings are less pronounced in Islamic than in christian architecture. Islamicpractice rejects representative images in favor of abstract design, producing a geometrically disicplined architecture. The Taj Mahal achieves a perfect sense of composition and setting. The building housing the tomb is surrounded by the mosque, hall, and gateway complementing the overall geometry and composition. The effect is unifying, perfect, and complete.

=Characteristics = The materials used were: brick and rubble core veneered with a fine marble sewred with metal dowols. It has prayer towers, a marble platform. It has calligraphy (verses of the Qur'an. Vaulted recesses that lead to the central space which contains the displayed cenotaphs. The main dome above the central ball, rests on a central drum surrounded by four octagonal towers, each supporting a smaller domed pavilion.

=People and places = The Taj Mahal is situated on the south side of the river Jumna, near Agra, in northern India. It is a mausoleum built by the Mogul emperor Shah Jahan to commemorate his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

=Renovations and changes = Threats have come from environmental pollution on the banks of Yamuna River including acid rain due to the Mathura Oil Refinery,which was opposed by Supreme Court of India directives. The pollution has been turning the Taj Mahal yellow. To help control the pollution, the Indian government has set up the Taj Trapezium Zone, a 10,400-square-kilometre area around the monument where strict emissions standards are in place.Concerns for the tomb's structural integrity have recently been raised because of a decline in the water level of the Yamuna River which is decreasing at a rate of 5 feet a year. In 2010, cracks appeared in parts of the tomb, and the minarets which surround the monument were showing signs of tilting, as the wooden foundation of the tomb may be rotting due to lack of water. Some persons predict that the tomb may collapse within 5 years.

=Links = [] [|www.**taj**blues.com/] [|www.**taj**-**mahal**.net/]

=Floor Plan = 

=Illustrations = =Names = Domenica Maselli Daniela Imeri