The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous, most recognizable buildings in the world.
It’s regarded as the jewel of Muslim art in India, and one of the 7 wonders of the
world.
But what would happen if the taj mahal became the target of an attack, where someone sought
to destroy it.
That’s the question we’re asking today on Life’s Biggest Questions.
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The taj mahal is a white marble mausoleum in the indian city of Agra.
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan commissioned its construction in the year 1632, in order to
house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th
child.
Its construction was completed in 1643, and it took 16 years to complete.
The tomb is part of a much larger complex, 17 acres in total, that consists of a mosque,
a guest house and beautiful formal gardens.
It is perhaps one of the worlds best examples of Mughal architecture, it is symmetrically
perfect.
Needless to say, it is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, and one of the most
important if not the most important in India.
The taj mahal has been threatened before.
Most recently, Back in March of 2017, Security for the taj was amped up after the local police
were tipped off about a possible Islamic state terrorist threat.
A pro isis website published graphics of the taj mahal with a terrorist standing beside
it, holding an assault rifle.
While the Taj was under threat, outside the 500 meter security ring, police monitored
vehicles rigorously.
Around 7 to 8 million people from around the world visit the Taj Mahal every year.
Every day, there are around 12 thousand visitors on its grounds, many of whom would be in direct
danger if the taj mahal was attacked.
The taj mahal also brings in millions of dollars spent on tourism, it costs 21 dollars US to
go inside.
The taj mahal is one of the reasons why people visit india.
The main reason why its so famous, is The Taj Mahal is a symbol of eternal love.
It was constructed by a grieving emperor for his favourite wife who died while giving birth
to their 14th child.
An attack on the taj majal is an attack on eternal love, an attack on the rich history
of india, and depending on who did the attacking, it could be seen as an act of war.
In the meantime though, Its quite possible that if it were attacked, the indian government
would try to reconstruct the Taj Mahal.
They would seek the help of ordinary Indians to do so.
Thousands of volunteers from across the country, quite possibly across the world, would ban
together to recreate the beautiful structure in its entirety.
The Taj’s love story has touched the hearts of many, many who would try to continue its
message and history by recreating it.
It would take several years, but not as many as it took to build the original.
The taj mahal was constructed in 16 years in the 17th century, it would take a fraction
of that time with modern construction methods.
But the recreated taj mahal just wouldn’t be the same.
Emperor Jahah commissioned many different artisans to build the monument, artisians
that have been dead for many years.
The white marble used to build the original taj mahal is priceless.
The walls are adorned with semi precious and rare stones.
The Taj Mahaj is not only a building, it’s a work of art.
Its embellishments and decorations are some of the finest examples of Mughal architecture
in the world.
It is extremely important to india.
There supreme court of india banned the use of coal in nearby areas to prevent the effect
of pollution.
Pollution has been discolouring the taj mahal for the last 30 years, turnings its white
marble green, brown and yellow.
Unfortunately, over the last 3 decades, the Taj Mahal has degraded so badly thanks to
the pollution created by the industrialization of the area, that its slowly being destroyed
anyway.
Pollution is degrading its walls, but the Yamuna River at the west side of the taj is
full of waste.
The waste attracts millions of insects, and the insects create excrement that is corroding
the marble.
India’s supreme court, as of July 2018, issued a statement where they threatened to
either demolish the taj or to shut it down completely, if the local government doesn’t
restore it.
One thing is for certain, If the taj mahal was attacked, india would never be the same.
For now, I’m charlotte dobre and you’ve been watching life’s biggest questions.
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