Now available in paperback and illustrated by hundreds of new photographs and drawings with an in-depth explanation of e
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English Pages [148] Year 2012
cOMIZ~!iE TA J .....
Thames
&
Hudson
MAHAI:
and the Riverfront Gardens of Agra with drawings by Richard Andre Barraud
Contents
To Benedikt, Sophie, Caroline, Maia and Lukas
Preface
A dome ofhiahfoundation and a building of9reatma9n(ficence was created. The eye of the Age has seen nothinq like it under the nine vaults of the enamel blue sky, and the ear ofTime has heard of nothin9 like it in any past cqe ... it will be a mcsterpiecejor cqes to come, increasin9 the amazement of all humanity. Muhammad
6
IV The paradisiacal The symbolism
Introduction: The Mughal dynasty, Shah jahan and Mumtaz Mahal
Amin Qazwini, Padshahnama, early 1630S
Naturalistic
8
The Mughal garden, its buildings
and its ownership
22
Funerary
of eternity
and commemorative
SCH EM E
Early travellers
34
In British
34
The gardens of the right bank
Visitors
58
of the Taj Mahal
Shah [ahan and architecture Imperial mausoleums
hands
Craftsmen,
materials, and construction
Construction
history and celebrations
anniversaries
ofMumtaz
85
techniques
90
97
Frontispiece The Taj Nahal seen from the Yamuna river. Rising above the riverfront terrace are
103
The principles
of Shahjahani
The principles
as expressed
architecture
on the left and the mosque on the right.
A WALI