The Taj Mahal,
an ode to love
INDIA
This crown jewel of Islamic art in India is universally regarded as one of the masterpieces on the World Heritage List, with marble relief work and inlaid precious stones
A paragon of symmetry and perfection
Rarely will you find a building that radiates as much beauty and emotion as the Taj Mahal. You can gaze at it for hours and fall silent with emotion. Or take a different angle and be surprised all over again. And then there is the story behind this mausoleum.
More than 20,000 workers laboured for decades under extreme conditions on this tomb for Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of Shah Jahan. The marble was brought in by elephants from distant quarries.
According to legend, the Mughal emperor had the builder's fingers cut off so that he could never again create such a beautiful building. The same sources say there were plans to build an identical structure in black marble across the river for the emperor himself, but he could not get it financed. Either way, this ode to love leaves no one unmoved ...
Taj Mahal, away from the crowds and, with a bit of luck, with a stunning sunrise"
