Taj Mahal

 Taj Mahal (Hindi: ताज महल, Urdu; تاج محل in Persian) which means "Crown Palace" in Persian, is located in Agra, on the banks of the Yamuna River in Uttar Pradesh India. It is a white marble mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, also known as Mumtaz Mahal, which in Persian means "the light of the palace". She died June 17, 1631 while giving birth to their fourteenth child when she went to the country. She finds a first burial on site in the garden Zainabad Burhanpur. At his death January 31, 1666, her husband was buried with her.

The Taj Mahal is considered a jewel of Mughal architecture, a style that combines architectural elements of Islamic architecture, Iranian, Ottoman and indienne1,2

Construction began in 1631. However, there is uncertainty about the exact date of completion. Shah Jahan's official chronicler Abdul Hamid Lahori indicates that the Taj Mahal was completed in late 1643 or early 1644. But at the main entrance an inscription indicates that the construction was completed in 1648. The state of Uttar Pradesh , which officially celebrated the 350th anniversary of the building in 2004, said meanwhile that the work was completed in 1654. of the 20,000 people who worked on the construction site, there are master craftsmen from Europe and Central Asia. It is considered that the main architect was Ustad Ahmad Lahauri3,4 of Lahorek 1.


Tourism 
The monument is visited annually by some three million tourists, mostly Indians. A price system is set up with a small entrance fee for Indians and a higher price for foreigners. Tourists mainly visit the site during the cooler months of October, November and December. Road traffic is limited near the Taj Mahal, tourists must either walk from parking for tour buses or one of the three entrances of the site (East-West) or use the services of this camel or self electrical -rickshaws. The northern courtyard, called "Khawasspuras", is currently being restored for use as a new tourist office.