Taj Mahal replicas and derivatives
The Taj Mahal, an iconic structure in India, has inspired numerous replicas and derivatives. "The Taj", informally, is now a major tourist attraction in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and has been regarded as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Since 1632, when Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan began building the Taj to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, it has inspired many notable replicas, and major derivative structures include a 1678-started project of the emperor's grandson. Some are intended to be scale models or otherwise to be more or less faithful copies, and others are designed with mild or extreme interpretations of the Taj's architecture adapted to serve other purposes.
These include:
Asia
Bangladesh
- Taj Mahal Bangladesh, a scaled copy of the original Taj Mahal located 10 miles east of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka in Sonargaon.[1]
- Lalbagh Fort, an incomplete 17th Century Mughal red sandstone monument inspired by the Taj Mahal. It was built by Shah Jahan's grandson, Muhammad Azam Shah, who later built an another Taj replica in Maharashtra,India- Bibi ka Maqbara.
- Taj Masjid, A taj inspired mosque near Dhaka.[2]
India
India, the homeland of the original Taj, has several replicas spread across the nation:
- Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad, Maharashtra; also called as the 'Taj of the Deccan' was built by Shah Jahan's own grandson, Muhammad Azam Shah as an attempt to outdo the original Taj.[3]
- Shahzadi Ka Maqbara, in Chota Imambara, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh [4]
- Taj of Bangalore, a 40 feet tall and 70 feet by 70 feet in wide replica of Taj Mahal in Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru was built by Malaysian architect, Sekar in September 2015.[5]
- Monument of Love, in Bulandshahr district, Uttar Pradesh was built by a poor pensioner Faizul Hasan Quadri, 77, in memory of his wife Late Tajammuli Begum in his nondescript village in Northern India.[6]
- Vardhman fantasyland in Mumbai, Maharashtra has a miniature replica of the Taj Mahal.
China
- A replica of the Taj Mahal stands in the Window of the World theme park located in the western part of the city of Shenzhen
Malaysia
- Mini Taj Mahal in Legoland Malaysia Resort in Nusajaya, Johor [7]
United Arab Emirates
- Taj Arabia is a yet to be built 20-storey 350-room super luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates which is planned to be an accurately scaled replica of the Taj Mahal made using glass. The glass hotel and its wedding hall are complemented with a suite of other Indian-themed facilities.[8]
North America
Canada
- Thomas Foster Memorial Temple is a memorial to the Canadian Politician, Thomas Foster in Uxbridge, Ontario inspired by the Taj Mahal.[9]
USA
- Trump Taj Mahal, is a casino located at 1000 Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey and modelled after the Taj Mahal.[10]
- Tripoli Shrine Temple in the Concordia neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin [11]
- Taj Mahal Houseboat, Sausalito, California is a Taj Mahal inspired houseboat in California.[12]
Brazil
- Sesc Mineiro Grussaí, in São João da Barra, Rio de Janeiro.
References
- ↑ Pakspectator.com. "Bangladesh to have its own Taj Mahal". Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ↑ "Taj Masjid". Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "World Heritage Site-Bibi Ka Maqbara, The Taj Of Deccan". Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "Chhota Imambara". Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "Move over Agra, now Bengaluru has a Taj Mahal!". Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "Indian builds a Taj Mahal for his wife-BBC Asia". Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "Taj Mahal in Legoland-Miniland India". Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "Taj Arabia, Arabia's new crown". Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "Taj inspired Thomas Foster Memorial". Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "Trump Taj". Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "Tripoli Shrine Temple". Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "The Taj Houseboat". Retrieved 4 February 2016.