Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal, Agra, the most famous of all India's ancient buildings and a prime monument of Mughal art. It was built as the mausoleum of Arjumand Banu Bagam, known as Mumtaz Mahal (the Elect of the Palace), wife of Shah Jahan. She died in 1631, while on a military campaign with her husband.

The Taj Mahal took 20 years to construct: 20,000 men were said to have been involved in the project. The tomb itself, over 73 m (240 ft) high, is lavishly decorated with Koranic inscriptions and carved reliefs. It is raised on a square podium with a minaret at each corner. It is flanked by a mosque and the jawab, a building with no clear function other than the balancing of the composition. The great garden which prefaces the tomb is 300 m (1,000 ft) wide; it has a great pool at its centre and is entered through an imposing gate. Mosques and tombs of other, less-favoured wives cluster nearby. The cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, who died in 1666, standing in a central octagonal hall, are elaborately carved and surrounded by a perforated screen of marble and semi-precious stones. The identity of the architect of the Taj Mahal is unknown, but some scholars have suggested that a Persian or Turkish designer may have been involved. The mausoleum was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.