Taj Mahal, often called Tadj Mahall, is a mausoleum complex in Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, in the west. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahn (reigned 1628–1588) erected the Taj Mahal to honour his wife Mumtaz Mahal, also known as "Chosen One of the Palace," who passed away in childbirth in 1631 after being the emperor's constant companion since their marriage in 1612. It is located in the eastern section of the city on the southern (right) bank of the Yamuna (Jumna) River and is arguably the most well-known and recognisable structure in all of India. The Taj Mahal lies roughly one mile (1.6 km) to the west of Agra Fort (Red Fort), which is situated on the right bank of the Yamuna.

The Taj Mahal stands out as the best example of proportional harmony in architecture thanks to its seamless assimilation of ornamental features.

HISTROY

The complex's blueprints have been credited to a number of historical architects, although the principal designer was most likely the Indian of Persian heritage Ustad Amad Lahawr. The main gateway, garden, mosque, jawb (literally, "answer," a building that mirrors the mosque), and mausoleum (including its four minarets)—the five main components of the complex—were conceived and designed as a single, cohesive unit in accordance with the rules of Mughal building practise, which forbade any later additions or alterations. Construction started about 1632. More than 20,000 workers were employed from India, Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and Europe to complete the mausoleum itself by about 1638–39; the adjunct buildings were finished by 1643, and decoration work continued until at least 1647. In total, construction of the 42-acre (17-hectare) complex spanned 22

ARCHITECTURE

The mausoleum itself, which is made of white marble and stands in the centre of a broad platform 23 feet (7 metres) high, reflects different colours depending on whether it is lit by moonlight or sunshine. It comprises four essentially similar facades, each of which has a large central arch that rises to 108 feet (33 metres) at its apex and chamfered (slanted) corners that include smaller arches. Four smaller domes surround the grand central dome, which rises to a height of 240 feet (73 metres) at the tip of its finial. The main dome's acoustics force a flute's single sound to resonate five times. The mausoleum's interior is laid out around an octagonal marble chamber with low-relief sculptures and semiprecious stones as decorations (pietra dura).