Wednesday 25 May 2016

DESKTOP 1030 - TAJ MAHAL

The Taj Mahal (Persian for 'Crown of Palaces') is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658), to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 42-acre complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.

Construction of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643 but work continued on other phases of the project for another 10 years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be approximately 52.8 billion rupees (US$827 million). The construction project employed some 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by the court architect to the emperor, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". Described by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as "the tear-drop on the cheek of time", it is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India's rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year. In 2007, it was declared a winner of the 'New 7 Wonders of the World' (2000–2007) initiative.

This post is part of the Wednesday Waters meme,
and also part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

9 comments:

  1. I read a book about the building of the Taj Mahal. Can't remember the name.I would so love to see that.

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  2. wow beautiful photo......i would love to see it for myself

    Have a nice abcwednes-day / – week
    ♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-w-team)
    ( http://melodymusic.nl/abc-wednesday-18-t/ )

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  3. Wonderful composition and combo of light and fog here.
    Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/05/american-tobacco-campus-durham-nc.html

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  4. I like the composition of your photo. The water reflection with the surface fog is brilliant.

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  5. What a captivating image, the man in the boat looks like he's
    gazing in awe at the Taj Mahal, as he quietly paddled his boat
    past the awe inspiring building.
    Best wishes,
    Di.
    ABCW team.

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  6. Composition if fantastic! Photo speaks of quiet and splendor and reflection of time and space. I love this photograph. Impressive work!
    JM, Illinois-U.S.A.

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  7. I WOULD like to go there someday. Don't know that I will...


    ROG, ABCW

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  8. The Taj Mahal is one of the most mysterious buildings in the world. Therefore the photo is so appropriate with the fog surrounding this building. Thank you for your information about the building.
    Wil, ABCW Team

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