Exterior of Case Studies 1, Taj Mahal!

Helloooo guys! Welcome back to my blog or if you're a new visitor.... HELLO there, welcome to my blog. In my previous posts I've mentioned about modern and early Church Architecture and Islamic Architecture so if you're interested please kindly scroll down! Well today, I'm going to start talking about the religious buildings that I've chosen from Eastern country and European country, which are Taj Mahal in India and Chartres Cathedral in France. I will be studying about these two religious buildings and analyze them in different perspectives.

The reason why I chose Taj Mahal as one my case studies is because it's arguably one of the most spectacular man-made structure in the world, it's said to be the prime example of integration of architecture and ornament (Lewis, 2008). Moreover, it's one of the seven wonders of the world too. The background of Taj Mahal adds a soul to its beauty. Taj Mahal is commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum ( a huge tomb) to commemorate his wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died after giving birth to his fourteenth child (Lewis, 2008).

Taj Mahal is considered by many to be the one of the perfect examples of Mughal architecture, it incorporates and expands on many design traditions including Hindu, Persian, and earlier Mughal architecture (Newworldencyclopedia.org, 2015). Despite its huge size, Taj Mahal is very well-proportioned and looks identically symmetrical. The four minarets are purely decorative, having no practical purpose at all (Lewis,2008). The white marble mausoleum is the most eye-catching part of this huge tomb, the sparking facades of the Taj Mahal make clear the building's significance. Though it appears to be white from a distance, ''it is clad in white marble from India's Makran region--but a closer look reveals colored stone inlay'' (Lewis, 2008). Moreover, speaking of Taj Mahal, you will never missed out the rectangular reflecting pool that leads the eye to the central dome. The dome is often called an onion dome (also called an amrud or guava dome).The reflection of Taj Mahal on the pool makes it looks twice magnificent.

Taj Mahal

(Taj Mahal Agara HD Wallpapers, 2014)

The top of the dome is decorated with a lotus design. 

(Show do CoV ao vivo nos 367 anos do Taj Mahal, 2016)

Taj Mahal is a centerpiece of entrance court, a gateway, a mosque, a guesthouse, and formal gardens with a reflecting pool (Lewis, 2008). Arabesque, geometric and calligraphic designs adorn the complex's flooring both exterior and interior. Taj Mahal is covered with intricate carvings, inlays and paint or stucco (Newworldencyclopedia.org, 2015). But most of the surface ornamentation is arabesque, this is because floral embroidered cloth was Mumtaz's favorite (Lewis, 2008). ''The abundance of usage of arabesque is contrasted by the white and black panels of calligraphy passages are thematically related quotations from the Koran--that were also extensively used as a design motif'' (Lewis, 2008). 

Close up look of Taj Mahal

(Safed, 2013)

Taj Mahal does not only leave a mark in history for being one of the most significant architectures in the history but it's also a great example of using the iconic Islamic identities as an element to unfold the building's spiritual essence. Taj Mahal accompanied by the garden full with greens and the pool that reflect the perfect symmetric structure and art details is a great combination of nature and man-made structure. Architects or future me as an interior architect should totally integrate these two more often as it definitely makes the man-made structure stands out even more. And.. that's it from me today! Hope you guys enjoyed! 

References :

Lewis, M. (2008). Architectura. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Barrons Educational Series.

Newworldencyclopedia.org. (2015). Taj Mahal - New World Encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Taj_Mahal [Accessed 7 Jun. 2016].


Image Resources :

Safed, R. (2013). Delhi and Agra: Mughal Capitals, the Taj Mahal, and the India We Expected. [image] Available at: https://rohisafed.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/delhi-and-agra-mughal-capitals-the-taj-mahal-and-the-india-we-expected/ [Accessed 7 Jun. 2016].

Show do CoV ao vivo nos 367 anos do Taj Mahal. (2016). [image] Available at: http://cavalgandoovento.blogspot.my/2015/06/cov-ao-vivo-nos-367-anos-do-taj-mahal.html [Accessed 7 Jun. 2016].

Taj Mahal Agara HD Wallpapers. (2014). [image] Available at: http://findwallpapershd.com/taj-mahal/taj-mahal-agara-hd-wallpapers/ [Accessed 7 Jun. 2016].