As anyone who has visited Agra can tell you, Taj Mahal replicas are a dime a dozen. So what sets Syed Hanif’s replica apart? Perhaps it’s the 925 pounds of precious metals, the 8 diamonds, or the $18 million it cost to build. Hanif has always admired this eternal monument to love, built by Shah Jahan for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The 35-member team has taken over 18 months to compose this incredible creation. The replica contains fantastic attention to detail; each team member was sent to Agra to view this monument up close. Hanif even recruited an Islamic scholar to ensure that the Arabic inscribed on the replica was correct. While the replica is only 3.5 feet tall, it contains 44 pounds of gold and 880 pounds of silver! The replica has 25 domes, with the main dome being built entirely out of gold. There are also 20,000 silver tiles used on the floor inside.
The project christened Taj 2012 has been obsessed with Star Gems managing director Syed Hanif for over 22 years. The project is built in Bhopal, India has been seated on a beautifully carved wooden stand that costs $17,500. While Syed has put in an incredible amount of passion and money into this project, he says, “I will be selling it for at least 100 crores rupees (more than $18 million).”
[Curbed and Dailymail]
