The Complete Taj Mahal
Though readers may know that Shah Jahan of India's seventeenth-century Mogul dynasty built the Taj Mahal, an immense funerary garden palace and compound, in the memory of his beloved queen Mumtaz, Koch, architectural advisor to the Taj Mahal Conservation Collaborative, provides groundbreaking analysis of the structure's architecture and importance. This gorgeous, large-scale, and accessibly scholarly volume combines eye-pleasing delight with detailed explanations of the monument's design, construction, symbolism, and history, including its sociopolitical context. Indian architect Richard Barraud's drawings reconstruct the Taj complex as it looked in Shah Jahan's time, providing views into the past, as this complex was designed and built as an integral element of Mogul Agra, a garden city along the Yamuna River. Complete with the genealogy of Shah Jahan, numerous color and black-and-white photographs, precise measurements of the entire compound, a glossary, and more, this is an unparalleled resource for aficionados of Muslim Indian culture and architecture.Whitney ScottCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved