Destinations Menu
RSS
INDIA | Agra, India Travel Guide
Friday, April 19, 2024
1 Of 2
Sightseeing in Agra: The Taj Mahal
Sightseeing in Agra: The Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is of course the place to visit in Agra. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and one of only three designated World Heritage Sites in the city. Built in 1653 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a monument to his wife, Mumtaz, this marble masterpiece was designed by Persian architect Ustad Isa and is situated on the banks of the Yamuna River. It is fascinating in both beauty and scope: perfectly symmetrical and set amid picturesque, landscaped gardens, it was built over 22 years (1630-1652), employing more than 20,000 workers, masons, artisans and jewelers, whose exquisite inlay work, using semi-precious stones to decorate the interior, is something to marvel at. It consists of 22 domes, reflecting the number of years it took to build, and is set on a marble platform which in turn rests on a sandstone one. Its main dome, which is also its largest and most elegant, is 60 feet (18m) in diameter and rises some 80 feet (24m) directly above the building; and beneath it lie the tombs of both Shah Jahan and his beloved wife, Mumtaz.
The Taj Mahal can be viewed, mirage-like, from the nearby Agra Fort: it was from here that Shah Jahan gazed upon it for the final eight years of his life while imprisoned in the fort by his son Aurangzeb.
Explore the Destination
Amenities and Resources
Weather Forecast
- Reported on:
Wed, 04/10/2024 - 17:30
- Reported on:
Trending Themes:
Guides to Popular Ski Resorts
-
Ischgl is a small mountain village turned hip ski resort, with massive appeal among the party-hearty young crowds. It is... Read More
-
Andorra la Vella is its own little world, and not just because it’s a 290-square-mile independent principality (a fifth the... Read More
-
Bariloche (officially San Carlos de Bariloche) is the place to be seen. It is to Argentina what Aspen is to the... Read More
-
Aspen is America's most famous ski resort. And that's an understatement. For, as a ski complex, Aspen is unsurpassed. Its... Read More
-
Zermatt is a small but glamorous mountain resort town, with a population of approximately 5,700. It is one of Switzerland's... Read More
-
St. Moritz is a glitzy, alpine resort town in the celebrated Engadin Valley of Switzerland, with huge notoriety as the... Read More
-
Lake Tahoe is the premier lake resort of America, and the largest alpine lake in all of North America. It is an absolutely... Read More
-
St. Anton, Sankt Anton am Arlberg in German, is Austria's premier ski-bum resort! It's actually a small village cum... Read More
-
Kitzbühel, a small, Tyrolian resort town in the Kitzbüheler Alps, comes with international renown and huge snob appeal, and... Read More