1. Prewriting : Mind map
Leaning Tower of Pisa
History
constructed from
year : 1173 - 1372
Leaning for 840
years
The foundation was built on soft ground and poorly laid
foundation, only three meters deep
Architect : Giovanni di Simone
Function
serve as a bell tower
to show the world the wealth and
power of the city of Pisa.
Location Pisa, Italy
Structure and
layout
16 arches.
297 step spiral staircase
56 meters high
leans 4 degrees at the southeast direction
Materials limestone and coated with white marble
Taj Mahal
History
Years of construction : 1631 - 1653
Taj Mahal was derived from the name of Shah Jahan's wife,
Mumtaz Mahal who passed away during chilbirth
Architect : Ustad Ahmad Lahouri
Location Agra, India
Function
To commemorate his deceased wife
serve as a mausoleum
Struture and
layout
240 feet dome surrounded by four smaller domes; four
slender towers, or minarets, stood at the corners.
Inside the mausoleum, an octagonal marble chamber adorned with
carvings and semi-precious stones housed the cenotaph, or false
tomb, of Mumtaz Mahal..
A central building with a white domed roof at the end of a long
reflecting pond
Material white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones
2. Comparison between The Leaning Tower of Pisa and The Taj Mahal
Beauty is defined as the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense
pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory
manifestations (as shape, color, sound) or a meaningful design or pattern. When it
comes to buildings and structure, it’s safe to say that beauty lies in the eyes of the
beholder. As there are no right or wrong answer to the most beautiful building in the
world where some people may fancy souring skyscrapers while others appreciate
the grand monuments still standing after centuries. Nonetheless, in my opinion, the
treasures on Earth are from ancient buildings which are the leaning tower of Pisa,
located in Pisa, Italy and the Taj Mahal, located in Agra, India where both buildings
have unique historic values yet differ in function, structure and material.
The history of the leaning tower of Pisa started five centuries before the Taj Mahal.
The leaning tower of Pisa was constructed for nearly 200 years from the year 1173
to the year 1372 while Taj Mahal was built in 17 years and had further construction
for 5 more years to completion from the year 1631 to the year 1653. The
construction of the leaning tower of Pisa was halted for a century due to the leaning
of the tower which was built on soft ground and poorly laid foundation that was only 3
meters deep and also because the inhabitants of Pisa were almost continually
engaged in battles with Genoa, Lucca and Florence. In the year 1272, engineers
built the upper floors one side taller than the other to realign the tilt of the leaning
tower. The world famous architecture was completed by Giovanni di Simone in the
year 1372. Whereas, the construction of Taj Mahal started one year after the passing
of Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died during childbirth. The name Taj
Mahal is directly translated as “The Crown of Mahal” which was derived from his
3. wife’s name as a declaration of his love to her. Shah Jahan had the best sculptors,
calligraphers and stonecutters from all over asia and the middle east recruited in
order to build the Taj Mahal. The chief architect who was in charge of building the
Taj Mahal was believed to be Ustad Ahmad Lahouri but the official creditor for one of
the Seven Wonders of the World was not confirmed as it is just a legend and fable.
The leaning tower of Pisa and the Taj Mahal have very different functions and
reasons why they were built. One of the purposes of the Leaning Tower was to serve
as the bell tower for the cathedral. However, the main purpose of the Leaning Tower
was to show the world the wealth and power of the city of Pisa. In the year 1172,
Pisa was one of the strongest and most powerful Italian cities that has successfully
waged war all over the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, the Leaning Tower of Pisa
was built to reflect upon the victories from the war. On the other hand, the Taj Mahal
was built to commemorate Shah Jahan’s deceased wife and also to serve as a
mausoleum for him to grief upon and to honour his beloved wife.
The structure and layout of both the buildings are worlds apart. The leaning Tower
of Pisa was designed as a circular bell tower that is 56 meters high with eight stories,
including the chamber for the bells. There is a 297 step spiral staircase inside the
tower leading to the top. The building leans 4 degrees towards the southeast
direction. The Taj Mahal main attraction is the central building with a 35 meter tall
white domed roof at the end of a long reflecting pond. Inside the mausoleum, an
octagonal marble chamber adorned with carvings and semi-precious stones housed
the false tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. Even though both buildings are made of white
marble, the leaning tower of Pisa was built with limestones to create a strong
4. structure to withstand the tilt of the tower whereas, the white marble is inlaid with
semi-precious stones in the Taj Mahal.
As Fredrick M. Padelford mentioned, “Indeed, I think that we are not at all aware of
the immense social asset that uniformly good architecture would be. Fancy a city in
which all of the buildings are beautiful, and trace the influence on the lives of the
inhabitants.” (Frederick M. Padelford, “The Civic Control of Architecture,” American
Journal of Sociology, July 1908, 45).] The leaning tower of Pisa and the Taj Mahal
both have treasured historic values and differ in their function, location, structure and
material. Both of these buildings are the reason why architects aspire to recreate
beauty into this world. In my opinion, I would prefer the Taj Mahal as it signifies
endless love and plants a prominent influence of beauty to people around the world.
5. Reference
1. Centre, U. (2014). Taj Mahal - UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved from http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/252
2. India, T. (2014). Taj Mahal - Taj Mahal India. Tajmahal.com. Retrieved 28
September 2014, from http://www.tajmahal.com/11/places/taj-mahal.htm
3. Mahal, D. (2014). The Taj Mahal - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com.
HISTORY.com. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/taj-mahal
4. Tajmahal.org.uk,. (2014). Taj Mahal - Taj Mahal India - Taj Mahal Agra - Taj
Mahal Travel- Taj Mahal Information - Tajmahal India. Retrieved from
http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/
5. Towerofpisa.info,. (2014). Leaning Tower of Pisa. Retrieved from
http://www.towerofpisa.info/
6. worldsiteguides.com,. (2014). Leaning Tower of Pisa. Retrieved from
http://www.worldsiteguides.com/europe/italy/pisa/leaning-tower-of-pisa/
7. What is Beauty in Architecture?,. (2011). A short Essay On Beauty.. from
http://archbeauty.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/a-short-essay-on-beauty/
