On this day in India, Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, died giving birth to their fourteenth child, Gauhara Begum. Racked with grief for the death of his wife, Jahan commissioned the construction of the Taj Mahal in her memory. Construction started in 1632, and the ivory-white marble mausoleum was completed in 1648, while the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later. The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being “the jewel of Islamic art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”. It is regarded as one of the best examples of Mughal architecture and a symbol of Indian history. It is also a major tourist attraction and attracts more than five million visitors a year. In 2007, it was declared a winner of the New 7 Wonders of the World initiative.
It’s a masterpiece of love, enchanted and eternal. I’d like to visit it.
I hope you will get the chance one day, Dany. I saw it as a child and the memory of its immense beauty has always remained with me.
Great information, dear Tony!
😀👍