The Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal Meaning of Taj Mahal is "Crown of the Palace" is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra . It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor , Shah Jahan (reigned from 1628 to 1658), to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal . The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) [5] complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall. INSPIRATION The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1631, to be built in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal , a Persian princess who died giving birth to their 14th child, Gauhara Begum . Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The imperial court documenting Shah Jahan's grief after the death of Mumtaz Mahal illustrate the love story held as the inspiration for Taj Mahal. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1643 and the surrounding bu