The Taj Mahal

It is the Taj Mahal in India that arouses feelings of romance and love in its purest sense. The superb marble monument was built in the 17th century by the Mogul emperor of India, Shah Jahan for his beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal.

Shah Jahan was heartbroken when his wife died in childbirth. To fulfill her final wish, the Taj Mahal was erected on the banks of the river Yamuna, in Agra which was the Mogul capital of northern India.

The Taj Mahal (meaning ‘crown of the queen’), stands on a square red stand-stone platform with an elegant minaret at each corner and a magnificent swelling dome in the center. Koranic writings are engraved and the entire building is carved with floral designs, embedded with precious stones. The bodies of both, Shah Jahan and his beloved queen lie buried in a chamber in the Taj Mahal.

Q. Why did Shah Jahan build the Taj Mahal?

Q. What does the Taj Mahal mean?

 Q. On the banks of which river does the Taj Mahal stand?

Q. Of what stone is the Taj Mahal built?