Although it is periodically subjected to “beauty treatments”, the Taj Mahal , one of the most admired and photographed monuments in the world, always ends up taking on an unflattering brown hue.
The cleaning operation consists of applying and removing layers of clay, as if it were a peeling , on the mammary surface of this iconic building, ordered to be built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan between 1631 and 1654 in the Indian city of Agra.
Scientists did not know exactly where the “browning ” came from: perhaps it was due to an oxidation process triggered by moisture in the mist, or perhaps the marble suffered from the effects of contamination, in the form of sulfurous gas. Mike Bergin of the Georgia Institute of Technology decided to investigate, and first wondered: why could the Taj Mahal be cleaned with clay and not water? The pollutant must then be made up of very small particles, not soluble in water.
Bergin and his colleagues analyzed the air in the area and collected samples from the building’s surface to find the person in charge. And there you had it: the sumptuous marble was covered in carbon particles that absorbed ultraviolet light and gave it that yellowish-brown filter , as the researchers verified with a computer model. The emissions from vehicles and the pollution produced by burning garbage and manure are, therefore, responsible for the Taj Mahal ugliness, but also, scientists warn in the journal Environmental Science & Technology , of endangering the health of the inhabitants of Agra .
A historical corner
The mausoleum was built in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the city of Agra and is now one of the top attractions for tourists from around the world, attracting four million visitors every year. Recognized worldwide as the city of the Taj Mahal, this royal Mughal city also has many other monuments that emphasize the highlight of Mughal architecture.
The founder of the Mughal dynasty, Babur, introduced the first formal Persian garden on the banks of the Yamuna River. Akbar raised the towering walls of the great Red Fort, and within its walls, Jahangir built pink palaces, courtyards, and gardens.
However, the glory of the city is obviously the Taj, a monument of the imagination turned into a “symbol of eternal love”. The Taj represents India in the world adorned by Shah Jahan with marble mosques, palaces and pavilions with white marble gems.
The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands the design traditions of Persian architecture and earlier Mughal architecture. Specific inspiration came from the Timurid and Mughal buildings, including; the Gur-e Amir (the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in Samarkand), Humayun’s tomb and Shah Jahan’s own Jama Masjid in Delhi.
For years, the monsoon rains in Agra were enough to clean the tomb, but due to worsening pollution in recent decades , the monument has turned yellowish. For years, workers have used a mud paste that absorbs dirt, grease and animal droppings to remove discoloration.
