12. Agra - Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal Meaning "Crown of Palaces" it lies on the bank of the Yamuna river and was commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1632 to house the tomb of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth bearing their 14th child. Essentially completed in 1643 and entirely by 1653 costing in todays terms over £750 million and employed 20,000 artisans. It attracts up to 10 million visitors a year. Like everyone, I have seen so many pictures of the Taj itself but I had no idea of what would surround it. When you approach the entrance to the Taj, this is all that you see, just the dome peeping out over the top of the wall! The Entrance Gate As you approach you could see nothing and then it suddenly appeared but really looked like a backdrop for a film set! The most spectacular feature is the main dome, over 100 ft high and close in measurement to the length of its base. Because of its shape it is often called an onion dome. Its s