Buland DarwazaBuland Darwaza(Hindi: ,Urdu: ,pronounced[blnd draza]), meaning 'high' or 'great' gate inUrdu. It was built by Akbar to commemorate victory. It is located inFatehpur Sikri, which is located 43km away fromAgra,India. It is also known as the "Gate of Magnificence." Buland Darwaza or the loft gateway was built by the great Mughal emperor, Akbar in 1601 A.D. at Fatehpur Sikri. Akbar built the Buland Darwaza to commemorate his victory over Gujarat.[1]Architecture[edit]The Buland Darwaza is made of red and buff sandstone, decorated by white and black marble and towers above the courtyard of the mosque. The Buland Darwaza is symmetrical in plan and is topped by large free standing kiosks, which are thechhatris. It also has at top center the Buland Darwaza style roof terrace edge gallery-kiosks on the roof, stylized buckler-battlements, small minar-spires, and illuminating inlay work with white and black marble. On the outside a long flight of steps sweeps down the hill giving the gateway additional height. It is 40 metres high and 50 metres from the ground. The total height of the Structure is about 54 metres from the ground level. It is a 15-storied high gateway that guards the southern entrance of the city of Fatehpur Sikri.A Persian inscription on eastern archway of the Buland Darwaza records Akbar's conquest overUttar Pradeshand the victory inGujaratin 1601. An inscription on the central face of the Buland Darwaza throws light on Akbar's religious broad mindedness.It took 12 years to build.Inscription[edit]On the main gateway an Islamic inscription written in Persian reads "Isa (Jesus), son of Mary said: 'The world is a Bridge, pass over it, but build no houses upon it. He who hopes for a day, may hope for eternity; but the World endures but an hour. Spend it in prayer for the rest is unseen.'"Reason[edit]Buland Darwaza, the triumphal Gateway, was erected by Akbar in 1601 in commemoration of his victory over Khandesh and Ahmednagar in Southern India. Buland Darwaza is the greatest monumental structure of Akbars entire reign. Even now it has no parallel and is the largest, loftiest and most stately in the whole of India. In its own class, it is one of the greatest in the world. Here, marble and sandstone have been used in effective combination in its decoration, which only the masons of the Mughal period knew. The inlaid marble work in the arches and the Hindu style of architecture in the gallery above the entrance are worth a visit. The total height of the Gate above the pavement is 176 ft.The great gate itself is quite plain. The three horizontal panels of buff stone noticeable in Badshahi Darwaza are also present here. The plain red sandstone spandrels are framed n white marble with a flower like ornament inlaid in white marble at the apex of the arch, and a flattish rosette, centered with the narrow panel above it, on either side. The cusped ornament, large and bold in fact, but small and delicate when seen from below, is carried down below the springing of the arch. Two pieces have been broken off from the left hand side and eight from the right.

Taj Mahal

TheTaj Mahal(/tdmhl/, more often/t/;,[2]fromPersianandArabic,[3][4]"crown of palaces",pronounced[tad ml]; also "the Taj"[5]) is awhite marblemausoleumlocated inAgra,Uttar Pradesh,India. It was built byMughalemperorShah Jahanin memory of his third wife,Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".[6]Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example ofMughal architecture, a style that combines elements fromIslamic,Persian,Ottoman TurkishandIndianarchitectural styles.[7][8]In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site. While the whitedomedmarblemausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen.[9]The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, andUstad Ahmad Lahauri.[10][11]Lahauri[12]is generally considered to be the principal designer.[13][14]Origin and inspirationMain article:Origins and architecture of the Taj Mahal

In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during theMughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, aPersianprincess, died during the birth of their 14th child,Gauhara Begum.[15]Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632.[16]The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal.[17][18]The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later. Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words:[19]Should guilty seek asylum here,Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,All his past sins are to be washed away.The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.In this world this edifice has been made;To display thereby the creator's glory.The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions ofPersian architectureand earlier Mughal architecture. Specific inspiration came from successfulTimuridand Mughal buildings including; theGur-e Amir(the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, inSamarkand),[20]Humayun's Tomb,Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb(sometimes called theBaby Taj), and Shah Jahan's ownJama MasjidinDelhi. While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of redsandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid withsemi-precious stones, and buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement.[21]Tomb1. The Moonlight Garden to the north of theYamuna.2. Terrace area: Tomb, Mosque and Jawab.3. Charbagh (gardens).4. Gateway, attendant accommodations, and other tombs.5. Taj Ganji (bazaar)The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. This large, white marble structure stands on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with aniwan(an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial. Like most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin.The base structure is essentially a large, multi-chambered cube withchamferedcorners, forming an unequal octagon that is approximately 55 metres (180ft) on each of the four long sides. On each of these sides, a hugepishtaq, or vaulted archway, frames the iwan with two similarly shaped, arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered corner areas, making the design completely symmetrical on all sides of the building. Fourminaretsframe the tomb, one at each corner of the plinth facing the chamfered