ZDF - Ancient Superstructures Series 2 Part 4 The Taj Mahal (2022)

Ancient Superstructures exposes the secrets behind the most famous monuments on the planet. After the success of the first season, which revealed the secrets of Mont Saint-Michel, the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu and Petra, the second season is once again taking on spectacular monuments the Louvre (France), the Temple of Angkor (Cambodia) and the Basilica of Saint Sophia (Turkey). These monuments have been studied for generations by all disciplines, yet they retain a mystery. How were these wonders built without the technical means available today? For what purpose were they built? And if the answers were in front of us - hiding from our eyes? The series reveals the secrets of the construction of iconic monuments for the first time and pays tribute to the genius and technical prowess of their builders. This episode 4 of Series 2 presents the mausoleum complex in Agra, Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. The Taj Mahal was built in the 17th Century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, in memory of his late wife. The extraordinary marble mausoleum was built in the city of Agra in northern India, and is considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world. And yet, there are so many things we still need to learn about the Taj Mahal and the surrounding architectural complex. How did the builders complete it in just 20 years – when the Notre Dame cathedral took more than a century? What gives it stability, built as it is on the unstable banks of the sacred river Yamuna? Using satellite images and microscopic investigations, historians, researchers, and engineers uncover the answer to these questions and more. The latest technology finds evidence of deep foundations, intricate gemstones, and innovative brick manufacture, and reveals the secrets at the heart of the colossal construction.

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