New Seven Wonders

[KKV]

That Cambodian monument is absolutely stunningg, and i like the thought of the great wall of china lol, i think Taj Mahal would be nice, but due to the story behind it, cos its kindve eerily romantic lol, but i'm feeling the Cambodian building :TH: all the same i doubt i'm gna vote, just fort id tell you what i think lols,

the taj mahal story was emhii - typical bollywood boo hoo story - he built a house thing in memory of his wife or sumthin then he died is well neither of them lived in it...so basically he created a mausoleum and theres PLENTY of them round the world - nothin tooo special - it like a house for a dead body/bodies

Lols thats probably why i like it, i guess im a little softie with these lovey dovey things lol , well most of the time lols not always into this soppyness, but i get where your coming from.

lol lay off Zee TV n hindus R us :umm:

[B4ND4]

The Taj Mahal, only one of its kind across the world is a delicate poetry of magnificence whose treasures are still unrivalled. The majestic tomb symbolizes a monumental labor of love, devotion and passion of a great Emperor for his beloved queen. The Taj Mahal crowned in Agra on the banks of river Yamuna in northern part of India is known as the 7th wonder of the world.

Architectural Facts of Taj Mahal

The Mughal Emperor Shahjahan constructed the Taj Mahal in memory of his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal. After the death of the queen, the Emperor decided to erect this sumptuous structure to immortalize his love for Mumtaz. Taj Mahal is regarded as the best specimen of Saracenian architecture with its unsullied design and exquisite. A 17th century manuscript called the Diwan-i-Muhandis, recovered in the 1930s, foretells that Ustad Ahmad from Lahore, a Persian engineer-astrologer was the designer of the glorious Taj Mahal. The work started in 1631and it took 22 years in completing this masterpiece engaging about 20,000 people. The architectural design uses the interlocking brocade concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and uniformity of architectural setting.

The Complex

The Taj Mahal is a fabulous combination of tomb, mosque, gardens, gateways and fountains The mausoleum is raised on a platform, the central inner dome is 24.5 m high and 17.7 m in diameter, but is surmounted by an outer shell nearly 61 m in height. There are four corner minarets, each 41 meters high. While the mausoleum is made of gleaming white marble, the pair of buildings flanking the tomb to the west and to the east is made of red sandstone. While the western building is a mosque, the other is the guesthouse cum museum. The water causeway and fountains join the gateway and the tomb to complete the symmetry of the scene.

Craftsmanship

The main features in creation of this splendid composition is the Mughal craftsmanship, that includes excerpt from the Q'uran and geometrical designs. The marble and precious stone inlays are fit together with such proficiency as to make it impossible for one to detect a joint. The chirography of the excerpt from the Q'uran are framed in 'trompe l'oeil' style to create an aesthetic fantasy, all letters appears to be of same size from the ground which adds a unique feature to this impressive prodigy of marble. Specific design credit is uncertain, and is given by different sources to Istad Usa, Ustad Ahmad Lahori, Isa Muhammad Effendi, or Geronimo Veroneo.

Taj Mahal at Glance

The marble used for building this monument of love was delved from Rajasthan. Precious stones like Nephrite jade, amber were brought from Central Asia and Burma.

To enter the mausoleum, one had to put a cloth around his feet like for any temple in India. The facility can be availed by paying small fee just before the stairs leading to the tomb. Inside the complex it is dark, on closer look one can see all the fine marble carvings decorated with many precious and semiprecious stones like sapphire, topaz, coral, garnets. The interior decorations are made of transparent marble. In the middle of the room inside the Taj Mahal, a cover of designed marble encircle the cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, also fabricated solely in marble, with calligraphy and other inlay work.

[Fruity]

So, what do you think B4ND4?

[B4ND4]

So, what do you think B4ND4?

If you ask me i don't really care what building is chosen as one of the seven wonders. But i would appreciate the craftsmanship involved in erecting these buildings. The fact that Taj Mahal was built by masterful hands remains. I am not sure if you guys know about this but these accomplished hands were chopped off once the construction was complete so that a replica of Taj Mahal couldn't be constructed. Some say thats a myth but this is what i read in my history books aswell.

I had been skeptical about the visit. One of the legends of the Taj is that the hands of the master masons who built it were cut off by the emperor, so that they could never build anything lovelier. Another is that the mausoleum was constructed in secrecy behind high walls, and a man who tried to sneak a preview was blinded for his interest in architecture. My personal imagined Taj was somewhat tarnished by these cruel tales.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler...0taj_mahal.html

Agra used to be the capital of the Moghul rulers who ruled India from the 15th Century to the 18th century, until the time of Bahadur Shah Zafar. The Taj Mahal was built in 1631, by Shah Jehan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. It took about 20 yrs and 20,000 craftsmen to construct the Taj Mahal. There are several gory stories attached to the construction as well, apart from the romantic angle. It is believed that Shah Jehan got the best of the craftsmen for the job, but, once the job was done, the hands of the craftsmen were cut off, to ensure that they did not replicate the same work of art elsewhere. Sadistic!

[Guest Dancing Warrior]

It was never meant to be physically constructed the mirror image of the Taj is a trick of the eye reflection across from the Taj if witnessed from the correct angle it appears that there are two Mahals not just one.

[Revolutionary]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A5220

interresting

[KKV]

the taj mahal still smells :umm: :umm:

[Guest Dancing Warrior]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A5220

interresting

In response in part to the article the RSS often plug the point that the Mahal was originaly a Shiva Mandir. They support their point by claiming that there is no evidence to suggest that Shah Jahan built it in fact they claim there is evidence that it was a Shiva Temple. I don’t know the truth it may be an interesting point of research.

[B4ND4]

Taj Mahal got the maximum number of votes :umm:

Here are the seven wonders >> http://www.new7wonders.com/index.php?id=633