Taj Mahal 2

TAJ MAHAL

Taj Mahal is one the most beautiful and costly tombs in the world. It is situated in Agra, India, on the banks of the Yamuna River. At that time, the city of Agra was also known as Akbarabad. It was built Mughal Emperor shah jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz mahal.It is one of the seven wonders of the world. Taj Mahal is part of a 42-acre site laid out in a Persian four part garden plan, or charbagh, meant to represent paradise on earth. The dome of the tomb rises 250 feet high and the entire structure is inlaid with semi-precious stones. The site also includes gardens, fountains, a mosque, and a rest house for pilgrims. The construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631. Masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from central Asia and Iran, and it took approximately 22 years to build what we see today.
The dome   is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is this background that works its magic of colors that, through their reflection, change the view of the Taj mahal. It depends on what angle the sun hits the water in the front of the Taj mahal. The colors change at different hours of the day and during different seasons. Like a jewel, the Taj mahal sparkles in moonlight when the precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the tomb catch the glow of the moon. The Taj mahal is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, they say, show the different moods of women.
The construction of the Taj Mahal commenced in 1631 and was completed in 1653.More than 20,000 workers were gathered from all over the country (India) and central Asia and it was built at a cost between four to five million rupees. The main architect was Isa Khan. Shahjahan cut off the hands of the workers after the completion of the taj Mahal   so that no one would ever...