History Behind Unforgettable love : The Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal , Agra INDIA

TAJ MAHAL a name of love, a name of peace , a name of symbol and a name of Highness ShahJahan.The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India.

In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their 14th child. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal. Shahjahan ordered the crews to find the finest materials from all over Asia, including all the marble and precious metal and stones that were inlaid within the Taj Mahal.

And Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision.Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish and Indian architectural styles. Estimates say the Taj Mahal may have cost upwards to a trillion US dollars to build in today's currency.

The plinth and tomb took roughly 12 years to complete. The remaining parts of the complex took an additional 10 years and were completed in order of minarets, mosque and jawab, and gateway. Since the complex was built in stages.

Soon after the Taj Mahal's completion, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb and put under house arrest at nearby Agra Fort. Upon Shah Jahan's death, Aurangzeb buried him in the mausoleum next to his wife.

The Taj Mahal complex includes several other buildings besides the famous white-domed mausoleum. While the dome of the masuoleum and it's four standing minarets are built out of white marble, all the outlying buildings within the Taj Mahal complex are primarily built out of red sandstone (red sandstone construction was very common at the time). The Taj Mahal was built first and took around 10 years, then the outlying buildings were constructed in the following 12 years. The entire complex is located in a beautiful 300 acre garden that has reflecting pools and walkways to connect all the buildings. 

On July 7, 2007, the Taj Mahal was voted as one of New Open World Corporation's New Seven Wonders of the World. The others were The Colosseum in Rome, Christ Redeemer in Brasil, Petra in Jordan, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Great Wall of China in China, and Machu Picchu in Peru.  

(Thanks to Internet Sources)