Located in the city of Agra, the Taj Mahal is one of the most spectacular examples of architecture in the world.  It is a compilation of Persian, Turkish and Indian designs that rests on the right bank of the Yamuna River amidst a vast garden.  Built during the years 1632-1648, this structure measures nearly 200 feet to a side.  The Taj Mahal was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

The purpose of the Taj Mahal was to serve as a funerary mosque for the deceased wife of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.  As legend has it, his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died and his love for her was so strong he built the Taj Mahal to hold her remains and, eventually, his own.  Materials for the construction were brought from all over India and the surrounding regions, sparing no expense.  The building was constructed during a time of prosperity, but the costs of construction were so great that Shah Jahan almost ran his kingdom into poverty, an act that landed him in prison at the hands of those who sought to stop his rampant spending.

The building itself is composed mainly of white marble and filled with Muslim-inspired designs, inscriptions, arabesques, inlaid precious stones and a host of other ornamental decorations.  The surrounding gardens are just as elaborate and four minarets at each corner of the main tomb each measure more than 130 feet in height.  Within the main tomb lay the cenotaphs – the false tombs of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan.

To describe the Taj Mahal in words is an impossible task, as it carries its own measure of majesty that can only been seen and felt.  Even pictures can only hint at its beauty, and to truly experience this feat of human endeavor one must witness it firsthand.