The Taj Mahal Is Completed

Setting the scene

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan mourned his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth in 1631 at Burhanpur; he brought the court to Agra and commissioned a white-marble mausoleum on the Yamuna's south bank, drawing Persian, Ottoman, and Indian artisans into a twenty-two-year building campaign.

What happened

The Taj Mahal was completed around 1653, its central dome rising above minarets, pietra dura floral inlays, and a reflecting pool aligned on a north-south axis of symmetry.

Why it still matters

It became India's most visited monument and a UNESCO World Heritage symbol of Mughal refinement; pollution and tourism wear later required conservation campaigns to protect the marble from acid rain and crowd pressure.

Background

It became India's most visited monument.