Yesterday, I flipped through my
Wonders of the World calendar to see the beautiful
Taj Majal in all its glory.
This incredible mausoleum is one of the many architectural masterpieces of the world that I would love to see in person, but realistically - I will probably never get to. That's one of the things I love about the internet. I can find a ton of information and photographs to enjoy on places that I'll most likely never see.
Located in Agra, India, the Taj Mahal was commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a tribute to his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth. The magnificent principal structure and surrounding buildings were completed in 1653.
Ustad Ahmad Lahauri is generally credited as being the chief architect. The
design beautifully incorporates Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. Materials used in the construction range from white marble to jade. While astonishing when viewed as a whole, the intricate details are equally amazing.
The empirer described the Taj as follows:
"Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory."
The Flickr Roundup:
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