Taj Mahal

On the banks of the Yamuna river, not far from Agra, the former Mughal capital, stands India's most famous monument. With its white marble dome, cupolas, minarets and intricate mosaics, the Taj Mahal has earned its reputation as a wonder of the world. Its fame owes as much to the beauty of its architecture as to the romance of its origins. Mumtaz Mahal, wife of the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, died in childbirth in 1631. According to legend, the emperor was so grief-stricken that he vowed to build the most beautiful tomb in the world, as an expression of eternal love. He hired a Turkish architect, Ustad Isa, to draw up the plans, and construction began the following year. To ensure that no other monument could ever surpass the Taj, Shah Jahan is said to have had the architect beheaded and the workers' hands cut off upon its completion.