Completion of the Taj Mahal

The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan completed the Taj Mahal at Agra in 1653, roughly two decades after construction began in 1632, as a mausoleum for his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. Built of white Makrana marble inlaid with semi-precious stones in floral patterns and set within a formal charbagh garden on the Yamuna River, the complex united Persian, Islamic, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural traditions under the direction of a team of architects and craftsmen traditionally associated with Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Widely regarded as the finest example of Mughal architecture, the Taj Mahal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and remains one of the most visited and most recognized buildings in the world.