Located in Agra (India), the Taj Mahal
is one of the most beautiful buildings
in the world. Designed by a powerful ruler
named Emperor Shah Jahan, it was to be
dedicated to his most beloved wife Queen
Mumtaz Mahal. Taking 23 years to complete,
it was finished by 1653. It had become
such an obsession to finish building the
Taj Mahal that the Emperor lost control
of his lands and his government.
The Taj Mahal, like the Eiffel Tower in
Paris, has become an international symbol
of India. Its highly sculpted reflecting
pools and highly detailed embellishments
speak to all who visit that the ruler
who built this building was very wealthy
and very powerful. It was also meant to
show how much a husband loved his wife,
and has in many ways become a symbol of
undying love (and a tragic symbol at that).
The
Taj Mahal was constructed using materials
from all over India and Asia. Over 1,000
elephants were used to transport building
materials during the construction. Materials
like white marble, jade, fine crystals,
sapphire, and Lapis lazuli make up its
interiors and exteriors. There are 28
types of precious and semi-precious stones
inlaid into the white marble that makes
up its surfaces.
By the time that the 19th century had
rolled around the Taj Mahal was in rough
shape. Pieces had been stolen, and it
was about to become part of a club of
plundered buildings (such as the Pyramids
in Egypt) that would never again reach
their full glory. One of the last acts
of the British government was to restore
the Taj Mahal and make sure it would be
around for future generations to appreciate.
The Taj Mahal, as of 1983, is an UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
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