The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal









The Taj Mahal has all of the qualities I look for in a new 7 wonder of the
world. It is awesome and beautiful. It’s location is far from anywhere and tough to reach. It is jaw dropping when you see it in person and it has a lot of history and mystery behind it.

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned it as a mausoleum for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. He did this out of love. In 1631 Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal’s period of greatest prosperity, was griefstricken when his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their daughter Gauhara Begum, their fourteenth child. Contemporary court chronicles concerning Shah Jahan’s grief form the basis of the love story traditionally held as the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Construction of the Taj Mahal was begun soon after Mumtaz’s death. Construction began in 1632 and was completed in approximately 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later.

I sat in the garden around the Taj for 6 hours, yes 6 hours just staring and taking the Taj in. You can actually go inside the Taj and see the tomb. It really isn’t that exciting going inside, kind of the equivalent of going inside the Pyramids, its small and theres not much to see. But like the Pyramids, the outside of the Taj is amazing. The intricacies of the carvings on the sides of the Taj are very delicate and beautifully done. In addition, there are 2 mosques on either side of the Taj that are perfectly symetrical to the Taj that add to the mystique of the Taj Mahal.