Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is both an Islamic funerary monument and an important part of India’s cultural heritage. Beyond the familiar love story, the complex attests to the labour and specialised skills of many builders and artists.
Photo: Yann ; edited by Jim Carter · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Facts
- Place
- Agra, India
- Civilisation / patron
- Mughal Empire under Shah Jahan
- Built
- 1632 – 1653
- Status
- Still standing
- Height
- 73 m
- UNESCO World Heritage since
- 1983
- New Seven Wonders (2007)
- UNESCO World Heritage
History
Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built as a tomb complex for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The white-marble mausoleum, with its dome and four minarets, stands at the end of a geometrically laid-out garden beside the Yamuna. Inlaid coloured stone, calligraphy and symmetrical subsidiary buildings combine Persian, Islamic and South Asian traditions. The complex survived periods of neglect and subsequent restoration, but air pollution and changing environmental conditions require continued care.
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Sources: Wikipedia — Taj Mahal