Agra, India - The Taj Mahal

After we finsihed our tour of the Red Fort of Agra, we made our way to the Taj Mahal.

To get to the Taj, we took a horse drawn carriage.

We then arrived at the outter gate of the Taj, built of white marble and red sandstone, the same as the Red Fort.

So we will provide just a little bit of information on the Taj, since almost everyone already knows what it is as it's one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, and get to the pictures faster.

The Taj is a mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is widely considered as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and stands as a symbol of eternal love.

Construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653.  The building is built of white marble and inlaid with precious stones, both inside and out.  The purpose is for the building to resemble and shine like a royal crown.  Visitors typically come to the building at sunrise and sunset as the angle of the sun reflects off the precious stones and they reflect the light, creating the impression of a royal crown.

The entire complex is perfectly symmetrical with only one exception (which we'll get to shortly).  There are two marble and red sandstone buildings on either side of the mausoleum.  One is a mosque while the other is technically a residence for noble visitors, but it was built purely for symmetry as no one would prefer to stay in a cemetary.

Shah Jahan intended to his own identical mausoleum to be built on the opposite side of the river in black marble and linked to the Taj with a silver bridge, but his son did not approve of the exorbinant expense and instead laid his father to rest beside his wife in the Taj (the only non-symmetrical feature as his wife is laid in the center).

Now, to the pictures:

This was truely a breathtakingly beautiful site and romantic (despite the heat and the crowds of people).  If we came to India and only saw the Taj Mahal, we would've been happy. We really recommend anyone interested to go and see it for themselves!