9 Replicas of Taj Mahal Around The World You've Never Heard Of
The Taj Mahal is a perfect expression of love, and history would have it no other way.?One of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum situated in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.?
Considered the most important national monument, the Taj Mahal was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1983. Over 350 years later, people from around the world continue to be inspired by its architecture. Did you know there are many replicas of this beautiful monument across the world? Here is the list:
About Taj Mahal
Built between 1632 and 1653, the?Taj Mahal is a mausoleum situated on the bank of the Yamuna River. It is surrounded by large gardens that form a green patch around the monument.?Emperor Shah Jahan?built it in memory of?Mumtaz Mahal, his favourite wife who died giving birth to their 14th child.?Mumtaz was not just a great love of Shah Jahan but also his adviser.?
One of the biggest tourist attractions in the world, the Taj Mahal is an octagonal building that combines elements of Islamic, Persian, and Indian architecture.
The Taj Mahal took about 20 years to build, and around 20,000 people worked day and night to complete this monument. At a time when there was no transportation, one can only imagine how difficult the task of moving materials from various parts of India, as well as from Tibet, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia was.
Taj Mahal, China
China is famous for copying famous things around the world whether it's military equipment, mobile phones or buildings but did you know that China also built a replica of the Taj Mahal? Yes, you read that right. China also has its own Taj Mahal located at a theme park also called the Window of the World in Shenzhen. Not just the Taj Mahal, the park also has replicas of other famous monuments like the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Royal Pavilion, Brighton, UK
The British ruled India for 200 years and looted $45 trillion in current value. Today, they have their own version of the Taj Mahal located in Brighton, England. The Royal Pavilion is a former royal residence that was built in the early 19th century as a seaside haven for George, Prince of Wales. It is often referred to as the Brighton Pavilion. The architecture of this structure is inspired by the 19th-century Indo-Saracenic style that was prevalent in India, leading to the close resemblance.
The prince had been advised by doctors to enjoy the benefits of the coastal city, with its pleasant climate and the possibility of diving in the saltwater of the sea. Brighton suited George, who was a vain and extravagant man with a passion for fashion, arts, architecture and the good life.
Taj Arabia
Once a small fishing village in the Arabian Gulf, Dubai is today one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world with the ultimate destination for everything from retail therapy and luxurious hotels to even your own private island. Dubai also has built a replica of the Taj Mahal?spread across an area of 210000 sq feet which is around four times larger than the original monument.?
Taj Arabia is a 20-storey hotel accommodating 350 rooms, shops, serviced apartments, and bridal wear stores and restaurants. The space boasts lush green landscapes and other architecturally themed residential and commercial buildings, reported TOI.
Taj Mahal, Bangladesh
The Taj Mahal of Bangladesh built by Bangladeshi filmmaker Ahsanullah as part of a movie set is located in the capital city of Dhaka. He announced his project, Copycat Version of Taj Mahal in 2008.?
The idea of making a replica of the Taj Mahal for his country came up to his mind in 1980 when he first time visited the original monument. According to Ahsanullah, everyone dreams about seeing the Taj Mahal but very few Bangladeshis can make the trip because it¡¯s too expensive for them.
Humayun¡¯s Tomb, Delhi
Located in Delhi, Humayun's Tomb is actually older than the Taj Mahal and was the first garden-tomb?in the Indian subcontinent built in 1560. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal.?
The tomb of Humayun was built by the orders of Humayun's first wife and chief consort, Empress Bega Begum known as Haji Begam. Persian and Indian craftsmen worked together to build the garden tomb, far grander than any tomb built before in the Islamic world.?
Humayun¡¯s garden-tomb is also called the ¡®Dormitory of the Mughals¡¯ as in the cells are buried over 150 Mughal family members. The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
Taj Mahal Houseboat, Sausalito, California
When land developer turned winery and vineyard entrepreneur Bill Harlan visited India in the mid-1970s and was inspired by the Taj Mahal then he decided to make a replica of it.?
The idea of making a replica of a monument on the boat came to his mind from Kashmir when he went to Dal Lake. According to reports, the houseboat cost $2 million at the time and has travertine marble floors, a wine cellar, a top-level solarium for meditation, a sauna, and a secret elevator. Bill spent many years in this houseboat till he sold it off in 2016 before moving on to Napa.?
Bibi ka Maqbara, Aurangabad
Also known as the poor man¡¯s Taj Mahal or Mini Taj of the Deccan, located in Aurangabad built by Aurangzeb¡¯s son Prince Azam Khan in the late 17th century in memory of his empress-mother Rabia-ud-Daurani. This replica of the Taj Mahal features four minarets, there are gardens surrounding it, and it is a delightful place to explore.?
Bibi ka Maqbara was designed and established by the architect Ata-Ullah, along with an engineer named Hanspat Rai. The marble, with which this monument is constructed, was bought from mines near Jaipur, Rajasthan. Out of several monuments built by Aurangzeb, Bibi ka Maqbara is considered the largest structure made by him.
Mini Taj Mahal, Madhya Pradesh
A lovestruck school teacher Anand Prakash Chouksey from Madhya Pradesh's Burhanpur has emulated the world's most famous display of marital devotion by building for his wife a replica of the Taj Mahal where Mumtaz Mahal breathed her last in 1631.?
This replica of the Taj Mahal is a four-bedroom house, that was gifted by Anand Prakash Chouksey to his wife, Manjusha, who is also a teacher. Burhanpur city is around 350km from Bhopal and 800km from Agra, close to the Maharashtra border.?
The building sprawls over 8,100 sq ft, took around 30 months to build and has four bedrooms, a library and a meditation room. The engineer who built the house faced many challenges during the construction to maintain the accuracy and beauty of the original monument.
Mini Taj Mahal in Bulandshahr
Love is unconditional and there are some people who go to unbelievable lengths to prove this. Back in the day, emperor Shah Jahan built one of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal, in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Little do many know that there was one modern-day 'Shah Jahan' living among us. Faizul Hasan Qadri, a retired postman pulled off a similar feat by building a mini Taj Mahal for his wife.?
Constructed on 5,500 sq ft in the once-obscure village of Kaser Kalan in Dibai tehsil, the cement and brick structure built by Qadri might not equal the Taj, but it was built for love.?
Qadri, who lost his wife of 57 years, Tajamulli Begum, to throat cancer in 2011, spent his entire life's savings and sold some of his lands to build the Taj replica on her grave.
But tragedy struck the 82-year-old man after he was hit by a motorcycle in November 2018. Hasan Qadri breathed his last in the hospital and now rests beside his wife, in the very tomb he built for her.
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