The Taj Mahal (/ˌtɑːdʒ
to house the tomb of his favourite
wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It also houses the tomb of Shah
Jahan, the builder. 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.
Construction
of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643 but work continued on other
phases of the project for another 10 years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed
to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time
to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be approximately 52.8 billion
rupees (U.S. $827 million). The construction
project employed some 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of
architects led by the court architect to the emperor, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.
The
Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being
"the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired
masterpieces of the world's heritage". It is regarded by many as the best
example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of
India's rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year and in
2007, it was declared a winner of the New7Wonders of the World (2000–2007)
initiative
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