The Black Taj

The legend of the Black Taj has been around for ages. In the past, hardly any publication failed to mention the story of the unfinished piece to the Taj Mahal complex. 

Those familiar with the Taj Mahal will know it as one of the most striking, brilliant architectural works in the history of the world. A structure which transcends culture and geography to leave a lasting impact upon all who see it. A grand mausoleum in bright white marble, built by the Shahjahan in honor of his beloved wife who had died in childbirth. 

Unfortunately, the building of this monument to his lost love was a trespass both upon his religion and his office. Islam forbids the building of monuments to human beings as sacreligious, and Shahjahan drained the resources of his people in order to build the Taj Mahal. Thus, he was ultimately overthrown by his son, and for this reason some people claim he was unable to complete his project.

The myth supposedly arose in 1665 from the fanciful writings of the French merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. From his reports the rumour arose that Shahjahan had originally planned the construction of an identical structure (to the Taj Mahal) on

the opposite bank, in black marble as opposed to the white used on the latter. The discovery of black marble ruins was supposed to have supported this claim, however it was discovered during excavations in the 1990s that the marble had originally been white, and was simply stained black over time.

These findings did not deter researchers, however, who argued that the inclusion of the area referred to as the "Moonlight Garden" in the Taj Mahal complex would be congruent with the tradition set by other garden tombs, allowing the Taj Mahal to form the standard cross shape as a whole. The Moonlight Garden had been assumed to be a part of the gardens built by Babur, 

the first Mughal ruler, between 1527 and 1530 C.E. However, advanced archaelogical and scientific findings in 1995 and 2006 have proven the Moonlight Garden to have indeed been a part of the original Taj Mahal complex. The reconstruction of a fountain in the Moonlight Garden area has provided new evidence as to the potential source of the Black Taj myth. 

With the completed fountain, the white marble structure of the Taj Mahal would have been reflected in the standing water on the opposite bank, forming a dark twin, a mirror image of the bright white mausoleum standing across the water.