Taj Mahal, India
The Taj Mahal, in Agra, India, is the lavish mausoleum built in between 1632 and 1648 by 5th Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to honor the memory of his beloved late wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It required more than 20,000 laborers to build this opulent, domed mausoleum which it includes four minarets, each more than 13 stories tall. This white marble structure combine’s number of architectural styles Indian, Persian, Turkish and Islamic and is considered the most perfect specimenof Mughal art and architecturein India.
The mausoleum is a part of a vast complex comprising of a main gateway, an elaborate garden of raised pathways, a guest house (to the right), a mosque (to the left), and many other palatial buildings. The Taj is at the farthest end of this complex behind the Jamuna River. The large garden contains sunken flower beds and four reflecting pools dividing it at the center.
After the completion of Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan spent the rest of his life gazing at the Taj Mahal from a window when he get dethroned and imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb in 1658.
Few facts about Taj Mahal:
- The Taj Mahal is a famous mausoleum in India.
- A mausoleum is a building contains burial chambers (tombs) they can be large or small and are created in honor of influential people.
- The Taj Mahal is located in Uttar Pradesh region, city Agra of northern India .
- It was built by Shah Jahan as the final resting place for Mumtaz Mahal, the third wife of Mughal emperor .
- The name Taj Mahal means “crown of palaces”.
- Construction of the Taj Mahal took around 20 years, beginning around 1632 and finishing around 1653.
- The Taj Mahal is made of white marble.
- Taj Mahal’s is most recognizable features is a large white dome that is often called an ‘onion dome’ due to its shape.Dome has a height of around 35 metres (115 feet) and is surrounded by 4 smaller domes.
- Taj Mahal height is 171 metres (561 feet).
- The Taj Mahal is considered as India’s most admired works of art, as well as a famous landmark and a tourist attraction that draws millions of visitors every year.
- The Taj Mahal complex have a a large garden, a reflecting pool, a mosque and other mausoleums.