The Taj Mahal

My first view of the Taj














An absolutely gorgeous building. It was built by Shah Jahan, the third Mughal (Persian) emperor of India as a monument to his beloved wife, who died giving birth to their 14th child. It was her tomb, and he was intending to build an identical building in black accross the river, as his tomb, so that his soul could eternally see hers. Unfortunately his son was quite power-hungry, and imprisoned Shah Jahan in Agra Fort. Even the son knew how important the Taj was to his father, though, and imprisoned him for many years in a small room in the fort from which Shah Jahan could see his wife's monument. After his death, one of his daughters took his body to the Taj and buried him next to his wife. Their tombs are the only part of the building that is not completely symmetrical. He even built a mosque on the west side of the Taj, and put a completely empty building on the east side to preserve the symmetry. Ah, the crazy things you can do with enough money.

The mosque at the Taj

The carved walls of the Taj

The view east from the steps of the Taj at sunrise