The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built byMughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Taj Mahal is considered to be the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Islamic and Indianarchitectural styles.
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recently, in a project that attempted to update the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, popularity poll was led by Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber and organized by the Swiss-based, government-controlled 'New 7 Wonders Foundation' considered Taj Mahal to be one of the present new seven wonders of the world.
While the white domed marble mausoleum is its most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, and employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer.
