Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal stands on the south bank of the Yamuna River in Tajganj, Agra, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned it after the death of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, and construction ran from about 1632 to roughly 1653, with the main mausoleum completed earlier than the surrounding complex. Thousands of artisans and labourers worked on the site, and stone, marble and inlay materials were brought from across India and beyond. The monument belongs to the high period of Mughal architecture under Shah Jahan, when white marble replaced the red sandstone favoured by his grandfather Akbar.

The complex is organised around a charbagh, a four-part Persian-style garden divided by water channels, with the mausoleum placed at the northern end beside the river rather than at the centre. The central tomb rises on a square marble plinth with four minarets at the corners, a large central dome and four smaller domed chhatris. Pietra dura inlay of semi-precious stones, calligraphic Quranic panels and carved floral relief cover the marble surfaces. Inside, the cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan sit within an octagonal chamber enclosed by a finely pierced marble screen, while the true burial chambers lie below. A red sandstone mosque stands on the west side and a matching building, the jawab, on the east. The great gate, or Darwaza-i-Rauza, on the south announces the garden with inscriptions and floral decoration.

The Archaeological Survey of India maintains the monument. Conservation has included repair of the marble, cleaning of surfaces affected by air pollution, and management of vehicle traffic in the surrounding Taj Trapezium Zone. Visitors approach through the west, east or south gates after security screening. The Taj Museum in the Western Jal Mahal inside the complex displays Mughal miniatures, calligraphy and period objects. The monument is open from sunrise to sunset on Saturday to Thursday and closed on Fridays, apart from worshippers using the mosque. Foreign nationals pay INR 1,100 plus INR 200 for entry to the main mausoleum, while Indian nationals pay INR 50 plus INR 200. Mehtab Bagh on the opposite bank provides a viewing point across the river.