DUBAI: Construction work on controversial replica of the India‘s world-famous Taj Mahal, four times the size of the original will start on next year, and is scheduled to open in 2018.
According to the development company Link Global, the project, called “Taj Arabia,” includes a 300-room five star hotel, apartments, restaurants and shops.
Work on the project had been due to start in June, 2013 but an executive said delays in the approval process had slowed down the construction schedule.
The price tag for the development was more than $350 million, the project is part of the 3.8 million square meter Falcon City of Wonders on Emirates Road. The city will also include copies of other global landmarks such as The Eiffel Tower and the Pisa Tower.
Surrounded by lush green landscapes, including the famous Mughal Gardens, the “New City of Love” will have several architecturally themed residential and commercial buildings.
Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage sitem, over 22 years in the 17th century in Agra, India. It was built by Shah Jahan for his deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal. Both are buried in the complex‘s tomb.
The developers are hoping, among other things, that Taj Arabia will also become a symbol of love and a destination for weddings.
Dubai is known for its massive and flashy developments.
Others include the world‘s tallest tower the Burj Khalifa, the iconic sail-shaped Burj al Arab hotel, one of the biggest malls in the world and an artificial archipelago of islands in the shape of a palm tree.
