Taj Mahal Architecture

As time changed, so did its architecture. Egypt accumulated a grand amount of money. Hence, Egyptian pharaohs spent a great amount on architecture to display their newly acquired wealth. The Great Pyramids of Gizeh were built during the Old Kingdom.The smaller pyramids are known as the pyramids of Menkaurea, which are dated between the years 2490-2472 BCE. The pyramid of Khafre was built between the years 2520-2494 BCE. While, the pyramids of Khufu was built between the years 2551-2528 BCE. They Great Pyramids were built during the Fourth Dynasty. The Great Pyramids symbolize the Egyptian’s architectural excellence. Once, starting with simple stone structures, otherwise known as mustabas to building grand structures all within the same dynasty, demonstrates Egypt’s architectural and ingenuity. Many researchers have theorized how the Great Pyramids were exactly formed. The Great Pyramids represent rebirth, which are presented in pyramid texts and in its architecture itself. Each of the pyramids’ temples are on the east side to face the rising sun in order to present their spiritual connection to

Teotihuacan’s Pyramid of the Sun and Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza are almost identical when it comes to base perimeter but the Pyramid of the Sun is half the size of the Pyramid of Giza. Teotihuacan’s Pyramid of the sun was built during the Mesoamerican classic and was constructed in two phases, the first construction stage around 100 CE, brought the pyramid to nearly the size it is today and the second phase brought it to it’s completed size of 223.942 meters or 738 feet across and 75 meters or 246 feet high, making it the third largest pyramid in the world. The pyramid of Giza, however, was built over a 20-year period with its completed height at 146.7 meters and a base of 230.34 meters. Based on a mark in an interior chamber naming the work gang and a reference to fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was finished around 2560 BC. The Teotihuacan are responsible for the construction of the pyramid of the Sun. It is unknown why it’s called the pyramid of the sun but scientist have been able to hypothesis as to what the purpose of this pyramid was for. An altar was built at the top of the pyramid which can lead one to believe that it was most likely used to honor a deity in some ritualistic way. As for the Great Pyramid of Giza, it is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu and the Queen. The base of this pyramid is the pharaoh Khufu’s tomb which had different archaeological objects that

Ever since man began building structures and settling land, art has manifested itself in our architectural creations. Whether it be to celebrate or worship a God or Gods, a grand sculpture to bury a powerful leader or remember them by, or to show a culture’s dedication to specific values, our architectural constructions have led to some of the finest art this Earth has ever seen. The Taj Mahal and Palace of Versailles are two great examples of such art. By examining each of these individually, and then comparing and contrasting them, it will become clear that no matter how different looking these buildings may be, they still serve the same purpose to the civilizations that erected them.

World famous and believed to be created in the first hundred years AD, the Al Khazneh in Petra of Jordan was once used as a mausoleum or a crypt (Macaulay-Lewis, n.d.). This building is now a tourist attraction and has been made famous by being featured in films from around the world.

decoration of the Dome of the Rock, however, is the mosaic work.” 2 Once inside, the rock that

The Egyptian pyramids are massive, pyramid shaped structures. Made out of limestone and granite the pyramids had a square base and four sloping sides that meet to form a point at the top of the structure. The ziggurats however, were. The base of the ziggurats was rectangle shaped and the structure consisted of three platforms with stairs that often lead up to temple at the top. The basic forms of these two structures do share some resemblance. The Egyptian pyramids and Mesopotamian ziggurats are square in plan with a sloped elevation. Despite the designs of these structures, they had a huge difference in there size. The pyramids and ziggurats often varied in size. This is especially evident for the pyramids due to the building of each pyramid spanning over the life of the Pharaoh the pyramid was being constructed for. They are still a huge difference in the size of the tallest pyramid and ziggurat. while the largest ziggurat, Nanna, is about 100 feet

The Great Pyramid has a very distinctive form, despite its age. It is said that the triangular shape is a strong one construction wise. It only seems suiting that this may explain why this large pyramid still remains. The media of limestone blocks may have also contributed to the long life of The Great Pyramid. A pyramidal form typically is a boring

Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in Giza Necropolis. It is believed that the pyramid was built over a 20 year period for the pharaoh Khufu. Ti was the world tallest man-made structure for over 3,800 years. There are three known chambers in the pyramid. A subterranean chamber, which is at the base, higher up is the queen’s chamber and lastly you have the king’s chamber which is highest. The pyramid was at the time very important because it represented the greatness of that pharaoh (Khufu). It also belongs to the Giza Necropolis site, which shows even more how powerful Khufu was. It is very important today because it is the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The pyramids of Giza were three pyramids which were the pyramid of Menkaure, the pyramid of Khafre and the Great Pyramid of Khufu. They were all three precisely aligned with the Constellation of Orion. But when people talk about the great pyramid of Giza they are usually referring to the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The base of that pyramid covered fifty-five thousand meters squared. The interior temperature of the pyramid is constant and equals the average temperature of earth, which is sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. The outer mantle was made of 144k casing stones and all of them were highly polished and flat. They each weight fifteen tons. The corner stone foundations of the pyramid were made with a ball and socket construction, which was capable of dealing with expansion due to heat and also earthquakes. The pyramid was originally covered with a casing stone that as made of highly polished limestone. The casing stones reflected the sun's light which made the pyramid shine. The pyramid was also aligned north and was only off by 3/60 of a degree. The four faces of the pyramid were slightly concave and it’s known for being the only pyramid to be built that way. Also the centers of the four sides

The pyramids and other structures on the Giza Platau (including the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Menkaure, and the Sphinx) were constructed with white limestone, which symbolizes the superiority of the rulers during that time. Modern scholars believe that these monuments were not built by slave laborers but rather some type of advanced but lost technology by paid

Qin Shi Huang, ruled China as its first emporer from 221-207 B.C. and was the founder of the Qin dynasty. He ordered the construction of the Great Wall which was designed to protect against invasions. Although this seems like a massive building project in and of itself, Emporer Qin also had a massive mausoleum complex built for himself. The mausoleum was guarded by an army of more than 6,000 life-size terra cotta soldiers.

The interior is decorated with mosaics and marble pillars and coverings of great artistic value. Justinian oversaw the completion of the greatest cathedral ever built of its time. It has a complex interior structure; the nave is covered by a central dome which is about 182 ft. 5in. from floor level and rests on an arcade of 40 arched windows. The dome had some repairs made to it which made its diameter vary from 101 feet to 103 feet. There are arched openings extended by half domes of same diameter to the central dome carried on smaller semi-domed exedras. Also the interior surfaces are sheathed with polychrome marbles, green and white with purple porphyry, and gold mosaics. The exterior, clad in stucco, was tinted yellow and red during restorations in the 19th century at the direction of the Fossati

Taj Mahal is one of the famous monument situated in Agra, India built by the great Mughal Emperor Shan Jahan in dedication to his wife. The building was built between 1631 and 1648 by a famous architect Ustad Ahmad Lahouri with the help of more than 20,000 workers to complete the work. Taj Mahal was built in the remembrance of Shan Jahan’s third wife Mumtaz Mahal. This monument stands out for the internal love towards his wife. The building was built out with marvelous white marbles, also different types of marbles from many regions have. Taj Mahal is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world. People of India is really proud to have a monument which took place in the seven wonders of the world. The real intent was to create a monument that would be matchless in beauty and magnificence and continuing inheritance, a masterpiece for the eternities to come, to assure his place in history. In 2007 the Official Declaration Ceremony took place and acknowledged Taj Mahal as the new seven wonders of the world. Along with The Great Wall of China, Petra, Chichén Itzá, The Statue of Christ Redeemer, the Colosseum, Machu Picchu. The Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally masterpieces of the world's heritage for Islamic community to worship and one of the engaged tourist site. According to history Taj Mahal is famous in India because of its significance in its culture, architecture, design, myths and legend and tourism.

The limestone’s that were used to build the pyramids were taken from quarries along the Nile River. When the building was completed the Great Pyramid was surfaced using white casing stones that slanted and were flat at the top (Krystek, 2010). The smooth blocks were beautiful, extremely well polished and white. This came to be known as the Casing Stones (Krystek, 2010). These have since then been cut off by Arabs who use them to build mosques in Cairo. However, a few of them still remain. Before the Arabs begun to strip off the casing stones they were very beautiful to look at. The original pyramid with its white casing would operate like humongous mirrors that powerfully reflected light on the moon and be seen like a star on earth (gizapyramid.com, 2011).

The Taj Mahal is a prime example of India’s rich culture. A mix of Indian, Persian and Islamic characteristics, the two decade long project is a renowned “Wonder of the World” that boasts an emotional and romantic history; it was built by Emperor Shah Jahan of the Mughal era in a splendid tribute to his deceased wife. To this day, the Taj Mahal continues to be a famous landmark and cherished piece of Indian art.