Taj Mahal
Several hundred years ago most of India was conquered and ruled by the Mughals, who followed the religion of Islam. When the emperor Jahangir ruled over northern India, his son, Prince Khurram, married Arjumand Banu Baygam.
Prince Khurram called his wife Mumtaz Mahal, meaning “chosen one of the palace.” The two were almost always together, and together they had 14 children. Prince Khurram became emperor in 1628 and was called Emperor Shah Jahan. But three years later Mumtaz Mahal died while having a baby. Shah Jahan was heartbroken. He decided to build the most beautiful monument to his wife. He had the best architects design it in a perfect blend of Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles. Beginning in about 1632, over 20,000 workers labored for 22 years to create what was to become one of the wonders of the world.
The great monument was called the Taj Mahal (a form of Mumtaz Mahal’s name). It was built in the city of Agra, India, the capital of Shah Jahan’s empire. Its several buildings sit in a large garden on the South bank of the Yamuna River. From the garden’s south gateway you can see the front of the white marble mausoleum. It contains the tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. The mausoleum stands on a high marble platform surrounded by four minarets, or towers. Many of its walls and pillars shimmer with inlaid gemstones, including lapis lazuli, jade, crystal, turquoise, and amethyst. And verses from the Koran (the Muslim holy book) appear on many parts of the Taj. Many visitors still come to the Taj Mahal. To help protect and care for it for many years to come, the Taj was made a World Heritage site in 1983.
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