Taj Mahal is one of the world’s most famous buildings, completed in the middle of the seventeenth century after more than a decade of work by some 20,000 people. It was commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of the favourite of his three wives, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site for more than three decades. Have a closer look at google street view.
The Taj Mahal is also famously built from marble, one of the most elegant natural stones
Now it’s been revealed that it needs nearly as long as it took to build – some nine years – to get rid of yellow stains on its white marble walls which are the result of air pollution.
According to archaeologists, a major marble restoration project is needed to safely and thoroughly remove particles from both the main dome and the four minarets of the world-famous monument to love.
The nearby, busy city of Agra is where most of the pollution comes from, despite a local ban on things like coal-powered industries and the burning of cow dung for fuel to reduce the deposits of carbon on the once gleaming white marble walls of India’s leading tourist attraction. A nearby oil refinery is also thought to have made the problem worse.
Now, following an analysis of the effects of pollution on the walls of the Taj Mahal by researchers from a number of US and Indian institutions in late 2014, the issues have been highlighted.
The solution is likely to be a mud pack treatment to clean the pollution, a process which could take up to nine years, and only the outside of the building will be treated. When it’s completed, it will need to be repeated every six or seven years assuming pollution in the surrounding area stays at the same level.
You don’t have to own the Taj Mahal to benefit from marble cleaning!
The project highlights the need for regular care and cleaning of marble, which can be prone to discolouration. And you don’t have to own the Taj Mahal to benefit from marble cleaning!
At Royal Stone Care, we offer marble cleaning in London and around. Operating to the strictest environmental standards, we’ve cared for all types of premises over the years with our marble restoration and marble polishing services.
The unique diamond pads we use remove stains quickly and safely, meaning you can book our marble cleaning London services with us with confidence, wherever you’re based in the capital, and whatever sort of premises you have.
Finally, we’re comprehensively insured and all our work is fully guaranteed, so you can’t lose!
