1. TAJ MAHAL
By Irene and Minetu

2. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleoum located in Agra, India
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleoum located in Agra, India. On the banks of the Yamuna river. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

3. AGRA
Agra is a city on the banks of the Yamuna River, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India.
Sultan Sikandar Lodí was the first to move his capital from Delhi to Agra in the year 1506; he died in 1517 and his son Ibrähïm Lodí kept the capital there for nine more years.
It achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658 and remains a major tourist destination because of its splendid Mughal-era buildings.

4. Completed in 1653, the Tāj Mahal was built by the Mughal king Shāh Jahān as the final resting place for his beloved wife, Mumtāz Mahal. Finished in marble, it is perhaps India's most fascinating monument. It’s perfectly symmetrical and took 22 years of building and 20,000 workers, masons and jewellers. It can be observed from Agra Fort.
Verses of the Koran are inscribed on it and at the top of the gate are twenty-two small domes, signifying the number of years the monument took to build. The Tāj Mahal was built on a marble platform that stands above a sandstone one. Just under this dome is the tomb of Mumtāz Mahal. The interiors are decorated by fine inlay work, incorporating semi-precious stones.

5. Mumtaz Mahal
Mumtaz Mahal was an Indian Empress of the Mughal Dynasty. She was married with Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan at the age of 19. She was his third wife and his favourite as well. She died during the birth of her 14th child, a daughter named Gauhara Begum. Her body was buried in the Taj Mahal. Mumtaz Mahal had a very deep and loving marriage with Shah Jahan. Even during her lifetime, poets would talk about her beauty, gracefulness and compassion. Mumtaz Mahal was Shah Jahan's trusted companion, travelling with him all over the Mughal Empire. His trust in her was so great that he even gave her his imperial seal.

6. So what about the Taj Mahal nowadays?
As many people might know, the Taj Mahal is the seventh wonder of the world. Not just because of its symmetry and beauty but because of its love story. In the old days, it was difficult that a woman could own the heart of a man because men at that time had a lot of women and did not love any one of them. But in this story we can see that the wife of this emperor gained his heart and this was something strange. This woman didn’t just gain his heart but she also won this beautiful mausoleum that we can enjoy today.
Nowadays, it’s a major tourism attraction and a lot of people come from all over the world just to see this massive monument.

7. Taj Mahal sinking
There have been many rumors of the sinking Taj Mahal myth. Many people seem to believe that the Taj Mahal is actually sinking into the earth. Many tests and surveys have taken place to confirm this belief but different surveys have produced different results. Some confirm the rumor while others don’t. The massive Taj Mahal was constructed in such way that the weight of the monument was badly distributed on the base.

8. THE END