Collections-Virtual Museum of Images and Sounds

Site Name: Agra

Date: ca 1650 CE

Subject: Tomb of Sirhindi Begum, southeast of main gate on south, Interior, marble cenotaph: Sirhindi tomb, is the final resting place of Izz-un-Nissa Begum, the third wife of Shah Jahan. She is popularly known by the title, Akbarabadi Mahal. Akbarbadi Mahal rose in favour as Shah Jahan?s beloved consort in the last years of his reign. She died in 1677.

Site Name: Agra

Date: ca 1650 CE

Site Name: Agra

Date: ca 1650 CE

Subject: Tomb of Satiunnisa Khanam, southwest of main gate on south of Taj compound, interior, marble casket of Satiunnisa Khanam: Satiunnisa Khanam was Mumtaz Mahal?s chief lady in waiting. The tomb has also been known as that of Fatehpuri Begam (one of the wives of Shah Jahan). Satiunnisa Khanam was an Iranian, the sister of Taliba Amuli, Jahangir?s poet laureate, and herself well educated in Persian literature and the Quran. After the death of her husband, she entered court service ad became the close attendant of Mumtaz Mahal and the teacher of Princess Jahanara. The emperor held her in high esteem and after her death in Lahore in 1647, he had her body brought to Agra. The design is a variant of the tombs inside the complex, in a more compact form. The inner octagonal body is surrounded by eight pishtaqs.

Site Name: Agra

Date: ca 1650 CE

Site Name: Agra

Date: ca 1650 CE

Site Name: Agra

Date: ca 1650 CE

Subject: Tomb of Satiunnisa Khanam, southwest of main gate on south of Taj compound: Satiunnisa Khanam was Mumtaz Mahal?s chief lady in waiting. The tomb has also been known as that of Fatehpuri Begam (one of the wives of Shah Jahan). Satiunnisa Khanam was an Iranian, the sister of Taliba Amuli, Jahangir?s poet laureate, and herself well educated in Persian literature and the Quran. After the death of her husband, she entered court service ad became the close attendant of Mumtaz Mahal and the teacher of Princess Jahanara. The emperor held her in high esteem and after her death in Lahore in 1647, he had her body brought to Agra. The design is a variant of the tombs inside the complex, in a more compact form. The inner octagonal body is surrounded by eight pishtaqs.

Site Name: Agra

Date: ca 1650 CE

Site Name: Agra

Date: ca 1650 CE

Subject: Tomb of Satiunnisa Khanam,, southwest of main gate on south of Taj compound: Satiunnisa Khanam was Mumtaz Mahal?s chief lady in waiting. The tomb has also been known as that of Fatehpuri Begam (one of the wives of Shah Jahan). Satiunnisa Khanam was an Iranian, the sister of Taliba Amuli, Jahangir?s poet laureate, and herself well educated in Persian literature and the Quran. After the death of her husband, she entered court service ad became the close attendant of Mumtaz Mahal and the teacher of Princess Jahanara. The emperor held her in high esteem and after her death in Lahore in 1647, he had her body brought to Agra. The design is a variant of the tombs inside the complex, in a more compact form. The inner octagonal body is surrounded by eight pishtaqs.

Site Name: Agra

Date: ca 1650 CE

Subject: Tomb of Satiunnisa Khanam, Fatehpuri mosque and outer western gate, view from the roof of main gate on south: Satiunnisa Khanam was Mumtaz Mahal?s chief lady in waiting. The tomb has also been known as that of Fatehpuri Begam (one of the wives of Shah Jahan). Satiunnisa Khanam was an Iranian, the sister of Taliba Amuli, Jahangir?s poet laureate, and herself well educated in Persian literature and the Quran. After the death of her husband, she entered court service ad became the close attendant of Mumtaz Mahal and the teacher of Princess Jahanara. The emperor held her in high esteem and after her death in Lahore in 1647, he had her body brought to Agra. The design is a variant of the tombs inside the complex, in a more compact form. The inner octagonal body is surrounded by eight pishtaqs.

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Taj Mausoleum, Octagonal mortuary hall, domical ceiling. The apex is accentuated with a whirl pattern and from the center hangs a vase shaped bronze lamp inlaid with gold and silver. Lord Curzon had the lamp made in Cairo.

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject: Taj Mausoleum, Octagonal mortuary hall, marble screen surrounding the graves. The screen is octagonal and reflects on a smaller scale the octagon of the surrounding hall and intensifies the paradoxical symbolism of the number eight. The frames are filled with jalis and covered with flowers, plants and flowery arabesques. Within the screen are the upper cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. The cenotaph of Mumtaz is exactly in the center of the hall so the larger cenotaph of Shah Jahan was added as an afterthought.

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Taj Mausoleum, Octagonal mortuary hall, marble screen surrounding the graves. The screen is octagonal and reflects on a smaller scale the octagon of the surrounding hall and intensifies the paradoxical symbolism of the number eight. The frames are filled with jalis and covered with flowers, plants and flowery arabesques. Within the screen are the upper cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. The cenotaph of Mumtaz is exactly in the center of the hall so the larger cenotaph of Shah Jahan was added as an afterthought.

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Taj Mausoleum, Octagonal mortuary hall, interior, wall detail. The hall has the form of a perfect octagon to a side, with two tiers of two radiating niches. The niches are framed, and the room encircled, by inlaid inscriptions from the Quran. The dados display carved flower vases framed by pietra dura inlay, and corner colonnettes are carved with plant motifs springing from pots with overhanging leaves - evoking paradisical bloom.

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Taj Mausoleum, Octagonal mortuary hall, interior, wall detail: The hall has the form of a perfect octagon to a side, with two tiers of two radiating niches. The niches are framed, and the room encircled, by inlaid inscriptions from the Quran. The dados display carved flower vases framed by pietra dura inlay, and corner colonnettes are carved with plant motifs springing from pots with overhanging leaves - evoking paradisical bloom.

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

Site Name: Agra

Date: 1631-1648 CE

Subject:

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