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INDIA | Agra, India Travel Guide
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
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Sightseeing in Agra: The Taj Mahal
Sightseeing in Agra: The Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is of course the place to visit in Agra. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and one of only three designated World Heritage Sites in the city. Built in 1653 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a monument to his wife, Mumtaz, this marble masterpiece was designed by Persian architect Ustad Isa and is situated on the banks of the Yamuna River. It is fascinating in both beauty and scope: perfectly symmetrical and set amid picturesque, landscaped gardens, it was built over 22 years (1630-1652), employing more than 20,000 workers, masons, artisans and jewelers, whose exquisite inlay work, using semi-precious stones to decorate the interior, is something to marvel at. It consists of 22 domes, reflecting the number of years it took to build, and is set on a marble platform which in turn rests on a sandstone one. Its main dome, which is also its largest and most elegant, is 60 feet (18m) in diameter and rises some 80 feet (24m) directly above the building; and beneath it lie the tombs of both Shah Jahan and his beloved wife, Mumtaz.
The Taj Mahal can be viewed, mirage-like, from the nearby Agra Fort: it was from here that Shah Jahan gazed upon it for the final eight years of his life while imprisoned in the fort by his son Aurangzeb.
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