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A book on the inscriptional program of the Taj Mahal by Fr. Michael Calabria, O.F.M., Ph.D., associate professor and director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at St. Bonaventure, has been published by I.B. Tauris.

The book, “The Language of the Taj Mahal: Islam, Prayer and the Religion of Shah Jahan,” provides a deeper understanding of the Taj Mahal and its builder by examining its inscriptions within their architectural, historical and biographical contexts. The texts adorning the Taj Mahal comprise verses from 22 different chapters of the Qur’an but their meaning and significance escape most non-Muslim visitors or those unable to read them.

This book is the first dedicated solely to the inscriptions in the monument, providing translations, commentary and interpretation of the texts.