Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum in Agra, northern India, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Construction of the main tomb began in 1632 and was completed in 1648; the mosque, guest house, main gateway and other parts of the complex were finished by 1653. The monument stands beside the Yamuna River within a Mughal garden covering nearly 17 hectares.

Its main structure is faced with white marble and rises on a large platform, with a great dome above the central chamber and four minarets at the corners. The project brought together skilled masons, stone-cutters, inlay workers, carvers, painters and calligraphers from across the Mughal Empire and from regions including Central Asia and Iran. The principal architect was Ustad-Ahmad Lahori.

The complex combines Mughal traditions with influences from Persian, Timurid and Indian architecture. Inside the central chamber are the cenotaphs, or symbolic tombs, of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. Their actual graves lie in a lower chamber beneath them. A finely carved marble screen surrounds the cenotaphs, while floral patterns made with inlaid stones decorate the surfaces.

The complex follows a carefully balanced plan, with the mausoleum, mosque and guest house arranged around a central axis. Its garden is divided into four main sections, following the charbagh tradition associated with Persian and Mughal garden design. The Taj Mahal was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983 because of its outstanding architectural and artistic value. It is also an important example of how architecture, garden design, craftsmanship and symbolic decoration were brought together in Mughal India.