Dubai to build own '4 times bigger' Taj Mahal in just 2 yrs

Developers said that Taj Arabia, an imitation of the 360-year-old marble mausoleum that took Mughal emperor Shah Jahan almost 22 years to build, would be constructed in a span of just two years.

The billion-dollar project will be set in the heart of the 41-million square foot Falcon City of Wonders on the Emirates Road.

Taj Mahal in India. File pic

Developers said that Taj Arabia would be symbolic of ‘love and romance' just like the Taj Mahal and would celebrate the union of couples by serving as the world's grandest wedding destination.

"Marriage is a celebration. It needs to be announced and glorified. Currently Dubai is not regarded as a wedding destination. People go to Bali and other exotic places to marry. Now they will come to Taj Arabia," Gulf News quoted Arun Mehra, Chairman of the Link Global Group, sub-developers of the mega project, as saying.

According to the report, Taj Arabia will be a five-star hotel property with 300 rooms, and would be flanked by seven mixed-use buildings, two of which will have 200 serviced apartments.

"Taj Arabia will not be a 100 per cent replica as it has a different purpose. That said, we definitely want to create the same spirit of love and passion in today's modern times when divorce rates are fast picking up," Mehra said.

"Traditionally in the UAE and the sub-continent, marriage is not just a union of two people but also their families. The serviced apartments beside Taj Arabia will be ideal for wedding guests as they will have 10 large bedrooms and a hall. We want to create an atmosphere which bonds family members," he added.

Dubai's Falcon City of Wonders, an integrated mega city shaped to represent the falcon which is emblem of the UAE's heritage, would include several historical and modern icons of architecture from around the world such as the Pyramids, Hanging Gardens, Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, and Leaning Tower of Pisa, the report said.
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