The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful man-made structures in the world. It is a UNESCO world heritage site considered to be one of the modern wonders of the world. The story behind its construction is equally beautiful as it is a tale of love and devotion between Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal who passed away shortly after giving birth to their fourteenth child.
The Taj Mahal has a massive dome stretching 240 feet covered in marble. The are four thin white marble minarets to mark the four corners. Of course without cranes, getting giant slabs of marble to such heights was no easy task. A ramp would be constructed to bring the pieces up, and to keep the incline manageable the ramp used for this construction had to be about 10 miles long.
Shah Jahan never really got over the loss of his wife. He remained in mourning for years before his position was usurped by his fourth son. He was imprisoned in a fort in Agra in 1658. He was forbidden to leave and spent the final 8 years of his life in the fort looking out the window at the Taj Mahal. When he died in 1666, Shah Jahan was reunited with his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal in the crypt beneath the Taj Mahal.
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