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Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahal is known as "the epitome of love", "a monument of immeasurable beauty", is situated in Agra, india. It is among the Seven wonders of the world, shows the immense love of a husband for her wife. It is not just only a finest example of Mughal architecture but also a combination of Persian, Turkish, Indian and Islamic architectural styles.

*A Monument of Love :
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan erected the Taj Mahal in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Arjumand Banu Begum, after marriage known as Mumtaz Mahal was the third wife of Shah Jahan. She died in 1631 shortly after giving birth to their fourteenth child. It is believed that during her last moments, Mumtaz Mahal obtained a promise from Shah Jahan that he will build world's most beautiful monument in her memory. Shah Jahan did indeed build a magnificent monument as a tribute to her wife, today which is known as the "Taj Mahal". Shah Jahan, himself also, lies entombed in this mausoleum along with his wife.

*Construction Of Taj Mahal:
The construction of Taj Mahal was started in 1631 and it took approximately 22 years to build it. It was completed in 1648 with the cost of approximately 32 million Indian rupees (approx US $68000). It is said that twenty two thousand workmen were employed on it daily.
The construction documents show that its master architect was Ustad Isa, the renowned Islamic architect of his time. Not only expert craftsmen from Delhi, Qannauj, Lahore, and Multan were employed but also many renowned Muslim craftsmen from Baghdad, Shiraz and Bukhara worked on many specialized tasks. Amanat Khan Shirazi was the calligrapher of Taj Mahal, his name occurs at the end of an inscription on one of the gates of the Taj. Poet Ghyasuddin had designed the verses on the tombstone, while Ismail Khan Afridi of Turkey was the dome maker. Muhammad Hanif was the superintendent of Masons. The designer of Taj Mahal was Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

The material was collected from all over the India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport it to the site. Red sandstone was brought from Fatehpur Sikri, Jasper from Punjab, Jade and Crystal from China, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire from Sri Lanka, Coal and Cornelian from Arabia and diamonds from Panna. In all 28 kind of rare, semi precious and precious stones were used for inlay work in the Taj Mahal. The chief building material, the white marble was brought from the quarries of Makrana, Rajasthan.

*Architecture

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