Today we visited one of the most famous and iconic sites in all the world - the spectacular Taj Mahal. It was built from 1632 to 1653 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, as a mausoleum in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. Because of this origin, the building is often described as a "monument to love". |
It took over 20,000 labourers and skilled craftsmen to build the Taj Mahal. People were brought in from all over India, Central Asia and even Europe to work on the marble inlay work and complex decorations. The site has been described by UNESCO as being "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". |