Taj Mosque & Rent House

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On both side of the Tai Mahal there are buildings of red sandstone. The one to the west is a Mosque. It looks towards Mecca and is used for entreaty. Before we have a look at the mosque, let us take message of a small stone enclosure along the western boundary wall where the well of the Mosque is situated. This greenery shaded construction, measuring 19 ft. by 6.5 ft. marks the place where the remnants of Mumtaz Mahal were deposited when first brought to Agra. From this momentary grave they were removed to their current place of imprisonment in the mausoleum.

On the exterior, the Mosque has pietra dura exertion twining across its spandrels. The stage in front of the Mosque is of red sandstone. A greatly polished small marble piece is so fixed that it serves as a mirror and one can see the mausoleum reflected in it. The floor is of a substance which is exceptionally fine and luminous and appears velvet red in shadow. On that 539 prayer carpets have been tidily marked out with black marble. All over there is beautiful calligraphy and the name Allah and quotations from scriptures emblazoned. The roof supports 4 octagonal towers and 3 graceful domes. On both side of the Mosque, to the north and south, and set along and upon the enclosure wall, there are two towers.

The Jawab, on the east side of Taj Mahal

A parallel structure also made of red sandstone, referred to as the jawab, or"answer" is stand on the east side of the Taj Mahal as the twin of the Mosque. Because it does not face towards the Mecca, so it was never used for prayer. Its existence there has always been something of a puzzle. May be it was a caravanserai for pilgrims, or a gathering hall before the faithful get together before prayer? More reasonable is the theory that its purpose was solely architectural, to counterbalance the Mosque and protect the symmetry of the entire design on the platform.

The jawab is alike to the Mosque. However, it does not hold the garnishes which go with a mosque, and, as a substitute of Kuranic inscriptions, there are attractive flower designs and other adornment effectively done in white marble on the red sandstone background. On the ground between the building and the mausoleum there is a full size reproduction of the acme adorning the Tadj Mahal. This gives some idea of the true proportions (31 ft.) of what from below appears to be a tiny thing.