May 2 - Taj Mahal

 We have arrived!!

The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan(1628–1658) to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centerpiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.








Tokens to get in and out. 

The intricate work was phenomenal. 


All the colors are actually semi-precious stones





Behind the Taj Mahal and across the river is the fountain of the Emperor's next building, which was going to be black marble and dedicated to him.


We then went to where they still practice the art of inlaying precious stones into marble. I didn't buy anything because my daughter had bought me a coaster set back when she visited here in 2013.


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