Which famous mausoleum is known as the symbol of eternal love?

The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned from 1628 to 1658), to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan, the builder. The tomb is the centerpiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.

The vision that preceded the modern era was that of a Taj Mahal symbolizing love, a symbol that is still widely used today. Indeed, history has left us the explanation for the construction of the Taj Mahal, namely that it is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, the 3rd wife of the 5th Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The latter built "the most beautiful tombs" for his wife died during the delivery of his 14th child. This is a historical fact, it is possible to follow the scene of the death of Mumtaz Mahal, his temporary burial during the construction of the tomb, and his final burial on the spot.

When one nowadays sees the beauty of the Taj Mahal one can imagine the depth of the love that the emperor bore to his wife, and it is therefore natural that the Taj Mahal was the symbol of love. It was this vision that prevailed until the end of the twentieth century, when historians leaned a little more on the monument and discovered a different symbolism.

More Info: www.wonders-of-the-world.net

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20 Comments

billyboy915

And that new symbolism would be what? Omitting this information leaves the explanation incomplete.

Joan Schmidt

He ended with a link. Were you all too lazy to click that link? I clicked it for you - The new symbolism is PARADISE.

Joanne Serin

docluci, she "totally" died? As opposed to partially? That would be weird.

Humberto Carrasco

GOT IT RIGHT

dsneed

tesla alset, If you come back to recheck posts, check out Todd Van Dell's post. It illuminates the whole story of the Taj Mahal. Dianne

dsneed

Todd Van Dell, Thank you Todd Van Dell Dianne

dsneed

billyboy915, True.

dsneed

We should all be so loved. Yay me.

Todd Van Dell

Joan Schmidt, Thanks Joan. I didn't spot the link until you mentioned it. Here's some of what that article refers to: "Late 20th century: A representation of Paradise More recent studies changed the point of view of historians. From now on, the monument is no longer a mere symbol of love but a representation of Paradise associated with the notion of Last Judgment. This vision is due to Wayne Ernest Begley, who published a comprehensive study on the subject and serves as the basis for the texts below. The Taj Mahal taken as a whole, ie including the walls, the South buildings, the gardens and the terrace, corresponds to a physical unit representing a unique symbolic message. One can not therefore exclude one of the buildings without compromising the symbolic message. Similarly, the transformation of one of the elements that constitutes the Taj Mahal necessarily has an impact on the symbol that it represents, however small this change may be (for example, a change of material or a modification of the layout of the gardens. ). Some features are more important than others. The main ones are: the use of symmetry, the layout of buildings on a grid, the decorations, the ordering of materials according to their colors, If contemporary texts of the creation of the Taj Mahal specify it, it is essentially the works of Begley which confirms it: The plans of the monument were made compared to the "Plain of the Assembly", the eschatological place of the Last Judgment . Recall that escahatology is the set of doctrines and beliefs concerning the ultimate fate of man after his death (individual eschatology) and on that of the universe after his death (universal eschatology). The layout of the buildings is disturbing to this plain which is described in the manuscripts of the Illuminations of Mecca Ibn Arabi. Schéma de la plaine de l'Assemblée The Assembly Plain, supposed to be in place on the day of the Last Judgment, is a rectangular area surrounded on the right and left by two rows of angels and down by three rows that can be seen as the boundaries of the gardens of the Taj Mahal. The Throne of God, which is according to Islam carried by 8 angels, is on the upper part, it is represented by an 8-pointed star that is closer to the octagon of the mausoleum. He is flanked by the four righteous (The mosque and the guests' pavilion) and, just below, by the Angel Gabriel. The central basin of the plain of the Assembly is near the place where the Prophet is, who uses the scales weighing the souls of the dead. Paradise and Hell are equivalent gardens, at Taj Mahal. There is therefore an adequation, certainly imperfect, between the internal disposition of the Taj Mahal and the spiritual representation which is made of the hereafter according to the Moslem religion. The main difference lies in the fact that the gardens of the Taj Mahal are a representation of Paradise only, while the eschatological document shows on the right Paradise and on the left Hell, with the bridge allowing righteous souls to cross Hell for to access Paradise. It may be noted that the Christian religion has a similar place, the entrance of Paradise, which is supposed to welcome the dead for the weighing of souls and their redirections towards Paradise or Hell by Saint Peter, the first of the apostles."

Jas Newman

Annette Phillips Nicolls, Shah Jahan intended to build a mirror-image shrine across the river for his own internment. That mausoleum would have been in black marble. However, his son usurped power before Shah Jahan could advance his grand project. When Shah Jahan died, his son had him interned in the existing Taj Mahal.

jack patti go

Got it!

tbear

billyboy915, I was going to ask the same thing!

Sue Fairweather

Got it

Richard G Schwartz

A great love story.

docluci

Is the symbol of love today to the living as well as to the Shah’s departed wife, who I learned today died in childbirth during the birth of her 14th child (WOW!!!!!)