TAJ MAHAL

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal summary

By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Below is the object summary. For the total article, see Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal , Mausoleum complicated at the southern financial institution of the Yamuna River, out of doors Agra, India. It become constructed via way of means of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahān in reminiscence of his wife, Mumtāz Maḥal, who died in 1631. The Taj complicated, began c. 1632, took 22 years to complete. At its centre lies a rectangular lawn place bounded via way of means of smaller, rectangular sections, one comprising the mausoleum and the alternative an front gateway. The mausoleum, of pure-white marble inlaid with semiprecious stones, is flanked via way of means of purple sandstone buildings, a mosque on one facet and an equal constructing for cultured stability on the alternative. It stands on a excessive marble plinth with a minaret at every corner. It has 4 equal facades, every with a huge critical arch 108 ft (33 m) excessive, and is surmounted via way of means of a bulbous double dome and 4 domed kiosks. Its interior, with fine, restricted stone decoration, centres on an octagonal chamber containing the marble tombs, enclosed via way of means of a perforated marble screen, with sarcophagi below. Regarded as one of the world’s maximum lovely buildings, it become certain a UNESCO World Heritage web website online in 1983. Steps were taken for the reason that overdue Nineties to lessen air pollutants that has broken the facade of the buildin