Taj Mahal--One Of the 7th Wonders Of The World--Built Out Of Love

Just done watching Slumdog Millionaire and in one of the screen shots,i came upon the ever most beautiful architecture,the Taj Mahal and was thinking,hey,wat a great topic for a blog posting and here i am,my friends,bringing you through the journey of the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra,India,built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife,Mumtaz Mahal.

In 1631,Shah Jahan,emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity,was griefstricken when his third wife,Mumtaz Mahal,died during the birth of their fourteenth child,Gauhara Begum.

The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrates the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal.The construction of Taj Mahal begun soon after Mumtaz's death with the principal mausoleum completed in 1648.The surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later.

The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture,a style that combines elements from Persian,Ottoman,Indian,and Islamic architectural styles.

In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."

While the white domed marble mausoleum is its most familiar component,the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures.Building began around 1632 and was completed around 1653,and employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen.

The focus of the Taj Mahal is the white marble tomb,which stands on a square plinth consisting of a symmetrical building with an iwan, an arch-shaped doorway,topped by a large dome.Like most Mughal tombs,basic elements are Persian in origin.

The Taj Mahal attracts from 2 to 4 million visitors annually, with more than 200,000 from overseas. Most tourists visit in the cooler months of October, November and February. Polluting traffic is not allowed near the complex and tourists must either walk from parking lots or catch an electric bus.

This one place i so need to visit during my lifetime.A structure built with love,for love and by love.As always,i attached videos of Taj Mahal below,its history and its beauty.Enjoy guys. =)