Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I love this set. It is my first LEGO set and I'm 47 years old! When I was a kid in the 60's I had an Erector Set and loved it. I knew two kids with LEGO. One had a Mother from Germany, and the other had an Airline Pilot for a Father.
I was creating my LeGummies Lego brick shaped Gummi Candy Instructable for Instructables.com and needed some Lego pieces to make the silicone candy mold.
I looked around for a general set of assorted pieces and couldn't find one in a store. I went to Lego.com, saw this set and fell in love. At the time it was still exclusive and could only be purchased from Lego.com so I bought it there.
I'm an architecture fan (I've given historic architecture tours for over 20 years - it's my passion). Since the Taj Mahal is arguably the most beautiful building in the world, I had to have it.
I was concerned the model would not do the building justice. I thought it might look like a cartoon with broadly drawn details. Boy was I wrong. The model is stunning. There are small gorgeous details that can only be seen when you get close.
When standing more than a few feet away, you can see that the proportions are wonderful.
People see a set like this and often think it must be full of custom parts that are only useful, or used in this model. I don't think there are any parts that only work for this model. It seems that these pieces are all stock. When you see them up close you realize they were not designed for this use, but to be something entirely different. As an example most of the beautiful decorative curved details are made of parts from hinges.
When I received the box I was lucky enough to have the next 3 days free. I started building immediately and didn't stop except to eat, sleep and shower. I enjoyed building it so much I did not want to stop. I finished it at the end of the 3rd day. If it were spread out over time in 2 hour spurts, it could be a fun project that would entertain for a couple of weeks.
It is huge, but it is built in modules, so it is easy to move. The base is 6 rectangular blocks that are locked together with pegs. The building sits on the base, but isn't locked to it. It sits perfectly and doesn't move, but the fact that it isn't hooked to the base makes easy to lift off. The building is solidly built. If you want to move it, just lift off the building, disconnect the six base pieces and carry them to another location then easily reconnect them, and set the building back down in the center.
I didn't find any clear separation in the many bags of parts. Some seemed to be bagged up by the module they are used in, but others seemed to be scattered in different bags. I went ahead and sorted all the parts before beginning. It took a few hours, but I was glad I'd done it. With this many pieces, looking for them one at a time would have been frustrating.
When building you start with the base modules. The 4 rectangles that make up the sides are mirror images so you build them at the same time. The front and back centers are different so you build them individually (the front has a staircase inside) Then you build four matching corners, and four door porticos. Those are hooked together with pegs and then you add the roof which ties them all together very solidly.
You build the central dome separately - it's a fun build all by itself, and four smaller domes. Put these 5 domes in place and you are done.
The only area in my apartment that was large enough to hold it, was the top of my refrigerator and there it sits looking beautiful. I enjoy it every day.
There were no missing pieces, and not very many extras so keep track of everything while you build it - a challenge with almost 6,000 pieces.
I used some battery powered led light strings that are meant to go into holiday door wreaths to light the inside. A single light bulb in the center would work just as well. I only turn it on for special occasions. It looks stunning lit up from the inside. (I only wish there was a way to easily get lights into the tops of the minarets without visible wires, or drilling).
If you enjoy a challenging, and long build, and are an architecture fan like me, you will love this set.
It is not scaled to MiniFigs and does not include any.
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LEGO? Creator Taj Mahal (10189)Build the breathtaking Taj Mahal! The famous Taj Mahal jewel of India is known all over the globe for its incredible beauty and elegance. Now you can recreate this modern wonder of the world for yourself! Designed for experienced builders, the LEGO Taj Mahal model features advanced building techniques, rare elements and colors, and realistic details of architecture. With over 5,900 pieces, the Taj Mahal makes an awesome addition to any LEGO collection!
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