This replica of the Taj Mahal, inside the Fairview Museum of History and Art has two informational signs associated with it. The first reads:
TAJ MAHAL
This replica made of pink alabaster by Lyndon Graham, is of India's magnificent Taj Mahal, which was built for one of India's rulers as a tomb for his beloved wife.
The second sign reads:
TAJ MAHAL, the mausoleum built on the south bank of the Jumna river, outside Agra, India, on the orders of the Mogul emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, called Mumtaz Mahal, "chosen one of the palace" (of which the name Taj Mahal is derived). She died in childbirth in 1631 after having been the emperor's companion since their marriage in 1612. The building was begun in 1632, after plans had been prepared by a council of architects from India, Persia, central Asia and beyond; the credit for the final plan is given to Ustad Isa, either Turkish or Persian. The master builders, masons, inlayers, and calligraphists, like the materials they worked with, came from all over India and central Asia. More then 20,000 workmen were employed daily to complete the mausoleum building itself by 1643, although the whole Taj complex took 22 years to complete
Wikipedia reports the following: "The Taj Mahal "crown of palaces", is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".
Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles.
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer." (
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"The Fairview Museum of History and Art has a fascinating selection of items, documents and artifacts from the greater Fairview area. Boasting magnificent sculptures by renowned artist Dr. Avard T. Fairbanks the museum is sure to impress any visitor. The crown jewel of the museum is perhaps the life-size cast replica of a Columbian Mammoth skeleton unearthed in 1988, only 18 miles east of Fairview at Huntington Reservoir." (
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"An outstanding regional cultural center which showcases regional history, art and a world-class collection of Arvard T. Fairbanks's works of art. The museum features sculptures, a replica of the Huntington Mammoth, carvings, and artwork. Two buildings of exhibits will keep visitors engaged for hours." (
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"The museum is full of historical data, artifacts pictures and artwork. Part of the museum is the Natural History Building which houses a full scale replica of a nearly fully intact Columbian mammoth. The mammoth was unearthed on the nearby Wasatch Plateau in 1988 while excavating the Huntington Reservoir.
The work of one of Utah’s most famous artists, Avard T. Fairbanks, is also on display at the Fairview Museum." (
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The museum houses historical artifacts, art ( a wide variety of sculptures and paintings); provides humanities lectures, school tours, local historic archive, oral history collection, and family history collection. In the central atrium is a New Columbian Mammoth skeleton, while upstairs is an extensive Avard Fairbank sculpture collection.