Taj Mahal's architectural antecedents

Though the Taj Mahal is said to be the most perfect building in the world, it is not without precedent. According to art historian Shobita Punja: "Everything has a tradition.

The Taj Mahal is perfect and beautiful because it had antecedents, a heritage of experimental constructions before it. For example, Shah Jahan must have seen his great-grandfather's tomb in Delhi, must have gone for the annual death-anniversary celebrations as a young boy and must have been inspired by this magnificent, huge tomb."

Babur wished to be buried under the open sky in his favorite garden in Kabul, so the tomb built for Humayun, commissioned under Akbar's rule, was the first major edifice constructed by the restored dynasty and the first major construction of the distinctly Mughal style of architecture.

For the Mughal emperors, a tomb was an opportunity to pay tribute to the dead, observe their religious responsibilities and broadcast their magnificence. The tombs of Humayun and Akbar were also grand architectural experiments. Read more.