Taj Mahal
With your entry ticket, you receive shoe coverings, to protect the marble floors of the Taj itself, and a bottle of water. 5:30 outside the ticket office, and no one's awake.
Entry gate to the Taj. The inlay work is done proportionately - so that the verses from the Koran, which surround the gate, look the same size from the ground, but actually are much taller at the top of the arch. During our trip, we learned a lot about the Mughal influence in buildings - a combination of Islamic and Hindu elements, and occasionally including other Asian influences. Chinese / Buddhist artefacts appear in some buildings (Fatepur Sikri, tomorrow's visit).
Typical view in the early morning smog. Reflecting pool at front, gardens all around.
Here you can see some of the remarkable inlay / pietra dura work on the front of the building.
With your entry ticket, you receive shoe coverings, to protect the marble floors of the Taj itself, and a bottle of water. 5:30 outside the ticket office, and no one's awake.
Entry gate to the Taj. The inlay work is done proportionately - so that the verses from the Koran, which surround the gate, look the same size from the ground, but actually are much taller at the top of the arch. During our trip, we learned a lot about the Mughal influence in buildings - a combination of Islamic and Hindu elements, and occasionally including other Asian influences. Chinese / Buddhist artefacts appear in some buildings (Fatepur Sikri, tomorrow's visit).
And here's an up-close of one of the carved flowers and patterned inlay which surrounds the door.
Although the Mahal gets all the press, there's a complex of buildings at this site. This is the mosque to the right of the mausoleum. There is an identical building on the left side of the monument to preserve the architectural balance. It isn't used as a mosque because it faces the wrong direction.
Pictures at this link on a clear day.
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