Located in the Northwestern part of India, Agra is a city which reminds us about Taj Mahal. Agra is one of the largest cities in India and is situated in the state of Uttar Pradesh and is one of the most popular tourist destination in the country because it houses the Taj Mahal which is visited by millions of people from all corners of the world. For the last five centuries, Taj Mahal has been the greatest tourist attraction of the country.
There are lot of mention worthy things about Taj Mahal and the fact is it is hard to describe Taj Mahal is worlds. Still Taj Mahal can be described as one of the greatest specimens of architectural creations on the surface of the earth,one of the greatest archaeological monuments in the world, one of the seven wonders of the world and off course the greatest landmark for India. Speaking about Taj Mahal it must be mentioned that it is a monument which was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 17th century in the memory of his wife Mumtaz. Taj Mahal is one of the greatest architectural wonders of the 17th century and offers breathtaking scenic beauty to people.
One of the most important thing to mention about Taj Mahal is that it is one of the greatest specimens of the combination of Mughal, Persian, Turkish, Indian and typical Islamic architecture. The tombs inside the Taj Mahal. The onion dome at the top, the stone pillars. The writings on the walls and the ceiling, the stone carving, the floral motifs all are specimens of the great sense of art and crafts among people in the Mughal age. Speaking about Taj Mahal it must be mentioned here that the white marbles which have been used are the most important factors behind its beauty. It is because of the white marbles that Taj Mahal looks as bright in the day as in the moonlit night. Watching the Taj Mahal in the moonlight is one of the major reason why lot of people gather there during the full moon.
However, apart from the main monument, the surrounding areas of Taj Mahal also add a lot to its beauty. The rest house, the tombs of Shah Jahan's other wives, Mumtaz's favorite servant, the gateway, which is made entirely of red sandstones are also important things to see in Taj Mahal. The Taj Garden, a typical Mughal garden is also a major attraction of Taj Mahal. The huge garden is set around a square charbagh, which covers an area of 300 meter. The total area of the garden has been divided into four equal quarters and each quarter houses four beautiful flowerbeds. Right in the middle of the garden there is a large marble water tank that offers a wonderful reflection of Taj Mahal.
Speaking about Taj Mahal and its architecture a word or two must be said about the talented people that created this piece of beauty. Though there are some controversies about the name of the chief architect of Taj Mahal, speculation says that Ustad Isa, an expert in Persian architecture was selected by Shah jahan to design and lead the group of architect for building Taj Mahal. But some people says it was not Ustad Isa but a person named Ustad Ahamad Lahauri, who was given the charge to build the Taj Mahal by the Mughal emperor who himself was a great patron of art and culture.
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