Thursday, February 20, 2014

Written In This Wall...

Great Wall of China

I Love the Blue of Indonesia

Manado

Moulin Rouge!

Paris

Here Stood The Wall Separating Two Countries

Berlin

I Met Bruce Lee By The Shore

Hong Kong

Time Moves Backward in Kyoto

Kyoto

The Sea Reclaimed

Ariake, Tokyo

Lost in Tokyo

Tokyo

Tulips Bloom in Bern

Bern

Accidental Tourist

Zurich

The Highest Post Office in Europe

The Alps

Old Port of Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Offerings in the Temples of Bangkok

Bangkok

This Used To Be A Fishing Spot

Singapore

Ramadan in Osaka

Osaka

A Country as Wide as a City

Brunei Darussalaam

The Two Towers

Kuala Lumpur,

I Saw Buddha on The Mountain

Luo Yang, China

The Wind Blows Hard in Melbourne

Melbourne

Bright Light Big City

Paris, France

Amsterdamned!

Amsterdamn, Netherlands

Apollo Dreizehn

Hannover, Germany

Mecklinburgring Nummer Eins

Saarbrucken, Germany

Where Jesus' Shroud Was Found

Trier, Germany

North Sea Breezes

Bremen, Germany

Ich Habe Mein Hertz in Heidelberg Verloren

Heidelberg, Germany

Between Old and New Delhi

New Delhi, India

Safari Without Riffles

Nairobi, Kenya

Forbidden City is Not Forbidden for Tourists

Beijing, China

A City On Two Continents

Istanbul, Turkey

Monday, February 17, 2014

Love Made of Marble

How do you express your feeling when you lose your loved ones?

Eric Clapton composed "Tears in Heaven" for his child. A very beautiful, touching song, which can bring tears to your eyes when you sing it while remembering the late ones you loved so much.

B.J. Habibie wrote his memoir, "Habibie & Ainun" right after his wife died. A movie based on the memoir was released in 2012 and gained a big success. Not less than 4.7 million people have seen the movie. 

The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had his own way to have the object of remembrance of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It's a token of love, made entirely of white marble. When I visited the monument, what came to my mind was how strong Shah Jahan's love for his wife. The mausoleum is called Taj Mahal, تاج محل after the wife's name.

Under the hot blazing sun of Agra, Uttar Pradesh Province, I walked around and inside the monument and was awed by the beauty of it.

It is an "elegy in marble" or some say an expression of a "dream."

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".

It was constructed over a period of twenty-two years, employing twenty thousand workers. It was completed in 1648 C.E. at a cost of 32 Million Rupees. The construction documents show that its master architect was Ustad ‘Isa, the renowned Islamic architect of his time. The documents contain names of those employed and the inventory of construction materials and their origin. Expert craftsmen from Delhi, Qannauj, Lahore, and Multan were employed. In addition, many renowned Muslim craftsmen from Baghdad, Shiraz and Bukhara worked on many specialized tasks.
















  • The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Wikipedia










  • Addressआगरा, उत्तर प्रदेश 282001, India





  • Height171 m





  • Architectural styleMughal architecture










  • FunctionMonument, Mausoleum
  • The Taj Mahal (/ˈtɑː məˈhɑːl/ often /ˈtɑːʒ/;[2] Hindiताज महल, from Persian/Urduتاج محل‎, ultimately from Arabic,[3][4] "crown of palaces",pronounced [ˈt̪aːdʒ mɛˈɦɛl]; also "the Taj"[5]) is a white marble mausoleum located in AgraUttar PradeshIndia. It was built by Mughalemperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal
    Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from IslamicPersianOttoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles.[7][8]
    In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the white domed marble mausoleum 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, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.[10][11] Lahauri[12] is generally considered to be the principal designer.[13][14]