- Taj Arabia will be part of Dubailand - a theme park the size of Birmingham
- The iconic building is to sit alongside other replica wonders of the world including the Great Pyramid and the Great Wall of China
Glamorous Dubai already boasts palatial hotels, sweeping desert and its very own city of Atlantis complete with dolphins.
Now the opulent emirate is about to gain another tourist attraction - and it may look familiar.
The latest development is a $1billion replica of India's Taj Mahal.
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Globetrotting: The Taj Mahal will stand close to the Leaning Tower of Pisa and other wonders of the world
The real thing: Will Dubailand's Taj Arabia be as breathtaking as India's Taj Mahal?
Dubai's version of the iconic building will be named the Taj Arabia complex, and will include a 300-room hotel and shops.
'The Taj is made as a monument of love and we hope to promote this in Dubai as a major wedding destination,' said developer Arun Mehra.
The Taj Arabia will sit within the extravagant, 107-square-mile Dubailand, which the city hopes will be the 'world's greatest theme park'.
It will be divided into six theme worlds and will be twice the size of all the Disneyland and Disney World resorts put together
The Taj will be part of Falcon City, a large plot of land designed to resemble a falcon spreading its wings, which should be finished by around 2014.
Magical: Dubailand will be divided into six theme worlds and will be twice the size of all the Disneyland and Disney World resorts put together
High glamour: The project, which is likely to be finished by 2014, will be stuffed with shops, luxury hotels, apartments and restaurants
Futuristic: The Great Dubai Wheel will be one of the biggest in the world, dwarfing the London Eye and offering stunning views over the city
Falcon City will also feature scale reproductions of other wonders of the world including the Great Pyramid in Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Coliseum and the Lighthouse at Alexandria, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Great Wall of China.
This being Dubai, the developers point out, the famous Pyramid 'includes retail and hotel space the ancient Egyptian architects would never have imagined!'
They have even placed a jogging track on one section of the Great Wall of China.
London Bridge, Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral and Houses of Parliament will also be reproduced in the mind-boggling development, which will be bigger than Birmingham.
Grandiose: Dubailand's Falcon City will feature scale reproductions of the Great Pyramid in Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Coliseum and the Eiffel Tower
Vegas plus: The ambitious project was started in 2003 but put on hold in 2008 because of financial issues. It has now resumed
Modern world: The developers claim that Falcon City captures the spirit of ancient civilizations while celebrating the architectural marvels of the world
Tourists will also be able to gape at a version of the Las Vegas strip that will be four times as big as the real thing.
The Town of Venice situated on the waterfront is to house waterfront, open-air cafes, gondolas and pedestrian shopping, and luxury apartments for short lets.
There will be Tiger Woods-designed golf courses, a Formula 1 race track, luxurious villas and water parks.
Billionaire's playground: Falcon City will be located on a 100 acre site in Dubailand, which is intended to be the 'world's greatest theme park'
Tourist heaven: Rollercoasters will stand beside the Tiger Woods golf course - but the noise will be blocked from apartments by the 'Great Wall of China'
The Pharaohs Theme Park will have multiple white-knuckle rides and roller coasters.
When announced in 2003, Dubailand was one of the world's most ambitious leisure development prososal, costing $4.3billion, but plans have been seriously set back global recession and Dubai's financial crisis.
The project was put on hold in 2008 but has now resumed.
The developers hope Falcon City will evoke the spirit of ancient civilizations for visitors, while celebrating the architectural marvels of the world.
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Replies
.primitive thinking indeed... but it is to be expected from those with the money, to move to such actions... and not only from Arabs...
westerners, or Asians, would do the same, if they could... humanity in their majority is on the same boat of thinking...
I really hope they don't succeed, Dubai is nothing but the old world on an extreme dose of steroids and viagra. Materialism, business, finances, money, religion, badly treated/paid workers, hot & humid as hell (needs artificiallity of an air con running over 3/4 of the year), feels culturally empty, the land feels as if there is nothing in it, no history, no spirit...
We all know what kinda cities we really would like to see built. But perhaps they are not possible in "this" world.
The other thing that really irks me is that both the Mid-East and Asia seem to be absolutely obsessed with replicating/emulating what Europe and America have already done/invented. Instead of moving forward with their own innovation, that is a natural next step forward/progress by learning from what the Eu/Am have already done and not repeating their mistakes, not repeating what can now be considered primitive methods of building society, primitive pursuits within society and so on and so forth... No they go right ahead and in these the most crucial of times, adopt the all American industrial motto, "bigger is better and too hell with the environment and human health". Really disappointed with them both.
they should be spending this money on saving gaia!!!!!
Brilliant comment ...proves you are a real STAR
What they do not know that there is a divine plan for the NEW EARTH....CITIES OF LIGHT
Right better pack my stuff and off to Dubai