Photos

The Taj Mahal, a mausoleum located in Agra, India, is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture. A style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architecture.

While the white domed marble and tile mausoleum is most familiar, the Taj Mahal is an integrated symmetric complex of structures that was completed around 1648. Ustad Ahmad Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer of the Taj Mahal.

In 1631, Shah Jahan, Emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was griefstricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their fourteenth child. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrates the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal.

In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

[Image scanned from 35mm negative using an Epson V500 scanner.]