Taj Mahal Travel Guide

The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is one of the most famous landmarks in India. It was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to commemorate his second wife, the late queen Mumtaz Mahal. After his death, he was also buried here. Although the white marble dome mausoleum is the most familiar part of the Taj Mahal, the entire Taj Mahal is a complex building complex with many buildings, including gates, courtyards, and mosques, covering an area of 17 hectares. The Taj Mahal is widely regarded as the "architecture of Indian Muslim culture". Its design combines the styles of Indian and Persian architecture and is considered the most exquisite example of Mughal architecture. The Taj Mahal began construction in about 1632 and was completed in about 1653. It used tens of thousands of craftsmen and cost a lot of money. The design and construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a team of architects, supervised by Shah Jahan, including architects such as Mir Abdul Karim, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmed Lahori. Among them, the Persian architect Lahori is generally considered the chief designer. In 1983, UNESCO listed the Taj Mahal as a World Heritage Site, calling it the "treasure of Indian Muslim art" and "one of the classic masterpieces in the world heritage that is admired by the world".