Taj Mahal, Mausoleum in Agra, India
The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum in Agra, India, standing on a wide rectangular platform beside the Yamuna River. Its central bulbous dome, topped by a pointed finial, is flanked by two smaller domed kiosks, and four cylindrical minarets rise at the outer corners. A long reflecting pool runs in front of the facade.
Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal in 1632 as a tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. The complex was completed in 1648, and Shah Jahan was later buried beside her.
The name Mumtaz Mahal means "Chosen One of the Palace", the title Shah Jahan gave his wife Arjumand Banu Begum. Look for the small inkwell carved on Shah Jahan's cenotaph and the slate on Mumtaz Mahal's, a pairing said to show a man writing his desires on a woman's heart. A single flower on her tomb is inlaid with 35 different precious stones.
The site opens at sunrise and is closed on Fridays, so plan your visit accordingly. Enter through the south gate, and consider an audio guide for context as you explore the grounds.
The marble walls are inlaid with thousands of semiprecious stones forming floral patterns; these inlays transmit light and shift in tone through the day. The cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal bears a single flower inlaid with 35 different precious stones.
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