Taj Mahal Architecture

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.

of the greatest and the most important architectural monuments in the world. Even though two of

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

Throughout the beginning of mankind, there are many differences in the way they governed their societies. From, the 1500’s back they usually had one person who was the top either something like a king or Pharaoh. Usually, the people who were in charge would have a tomb built for them when they passed or ordered people to build them a tomb before they passed. Some of these tombs were grand while others were dull. There were also tombs that made a greater impression than other tombs which are today known as “famous tombs”. Of course, some tombs are grand, but this paper will focus on the significance of the ruler and the tomb and how the ruler impacted the way the tomb was built. KV62 better known as the tomb of a young Pharaoh Tutankhamun also

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

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.

     With 757 foot sides, the largest pyramid at Giza would have been difficult to design with a perfect square base, and yet the base is almost perfect and the difference in side length is only a mere two centimeters. This is an amazing feat for any modern culture, but an impossible one for an ancient culture without the mechanical tools and mathematical knowledge that the aliens had. The aliens used their mathematical genius to work when they created the pyramids. If you take the perimeter of the Great Pyramid, and divide it by two times the height, you get a number that is exactly equivalent to the number Pi, up to the fifteenth digit. It was a number not calculated accurately to the fourth digit until the 6th century. Because of this knowledge, there is no way the Egyptians built the pyramids.

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.

(1-2.) the center of the pyramid, the center is might move to side and this problem makes the pyramid look lopsided (I.E.S. Edwards, 1999). Figure 1-3, possible mistakes while building a pyramid (I.E.S. Edwards, 1999) (1-3.) the height and base of the pyramid, the pyramid determined by its height and base to construct the perfect pyramid shape (I.E.S. Edwards, 1999). Figure 1-4, possible mistakes while building a pyramid (I.E.S. Edwards, 1999) (1-4)Alignment, for religious reasons the pyramids on the Giza plateau are all aligned exactly north-south and in relation to each other (I.E.S. Edwards, 1999).

One example of a royal tomb was the Step Pyramid of Djoser, who ruled from 2691-2625 BCE. Djoser was the second king of the third Dynasty (2925-2575 BCE). Imhotep was the architect who designed and helped in building this tomb. Imhotep was also known to possess some knowledge of medicine and astrology.

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.

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

The Great Pyramid of Giza is also recognized as the Pyramid of Khufu, Khufu's Pyramid and Pyramid of Cheops. It is the most significant and earliest structure in the world. This pyramid is the oldest of the three pyramids standing on the Giza Necropolis. It is also the largest of them all (Larry, 2000). This great pyramid is located on the northern edge of the Giza Plateau, which is 25 km outskirts, southwest of Cairo, Egypt. It is the only remaining standing monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (Crystalink, 2011). It is said that the pyramid was built as the tomb for the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian King Khufu (known in Greek as Cheops).

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 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.