Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful medieval royal tombs in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. The fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built this monument in the memory of his wife Arjuman Banu Begum (Mumtaz Mahal). Its construction period is from 1632 AD to 1653 AD. 20,000 workers took part in the construction of the Taj Mahal.

The construction style of the Taj Mahal is a unique blend of Persian, Turkish, Indian and Muslim architecture. For its beauty, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983. Needless to say it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The architect of the Taj Mahal was the Persian architect Isa Afendi. Kazim Khan designed the top bar of the dome. Besides, Chiranjilal and Amanat Khan were in charge of craftsmanship.

More than 1,000 elephants were used to bring construction materials to the Taj Mahal. Twenty-eight types of stones have been used in the construction of the Taj Mahal. White marble stones were brought from Rajasthan and medium quality stones of Yashw-red, brown and yellow were brought from Punjab. Jasmine-hard red, white and green stones and crystal pieces were brought from China. The sapphire gem was brought from Afghanistan and the green-blue gem was brought from Tibet. Bright blue gems were brought from Sri Lanka and red, white and brown stones were brought from Arabia.

The construction of the Taj Mahal cost about 32 million rupees at that time. However, according to some sources, the amount is more. Every year around 60 to 70 lakh tourists come from different parts of the world to visit the Taj Mahal.