Weekly Photo Challenge : Unique

Tajmahal, a unique Monument of India which is one of the seven wonders of the world and in 1983, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by  Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”.

Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal Architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Perisan, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles.

In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their 14th child. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen.

Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words:

 Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator’s glory.