The Taj Mahal
An ivory-white marble mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan on the south bank of the Yamuna river in Agra as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth in 1631. The central tomb chamber is surrounded by a garden of reflecting pools and formal plantings, enclosed within red sandstone outer walls — the total complex covering 42 acres. The main dome, 35 meters in diameter, is flanked by four smaller domed kiosks and four minarets, creating a perfectly symmetrical composition that changes color throughout the day.
The Taj Mahal is the pinnacle of Mughal architecture and the most celebrated monument to love ever built, representing the synthesis of Persian, Islamic, and Mughal architectural traditions in a complex of perfect proportional refinement. Its decorative program — inlaid pietra dura flowers in semi-precious stone on every interior surface — required 20,000 artisans and 22 years to complete. It receives approximately 7-8 million visitors annually, making it one of the most visited tourist sites in the world.
Built during the reign of Shah Jahan — widely regarded as the height of Mughal cultural and artistic achievement — the Taj Mahal was constructed with resources drawn from an empire that then produced about 25% of world GDP. Shah Jahan was later deposed by his son Aurangzeb and spent his final years imprisoned in Agra Fort, from which he could see the Taj Mahal across the Yamuna river.