Taj Mahal: How a mausoleum in India became one of the world’s most famous landmarks

The world-famous Taj Mahal is located in the city of Agra in northern India, about a 2 1/2-hour drive by car from New Delhi. It was commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The monument is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the finest examples of Indo-Islamic architecture. (Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Mumtaz married Jahan in 1612 and was revered as an accomplished political practitioner who worked alongside the emperor during their 19 years of marriage. She died while giving birth to the couple's 14th child. After her death, Jahan plunged into a two-year mourning period, during which time he decided to build a magnificent tomb dedicated to Mumtaz. (Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Scholars suggest Jahan commissioned architects Ustad Ahmad Lahori and Ustad Isa to construct the Taj Mahal in 1632. In total, the complex was assembled by 20,000 artisans and was assisted by 1,000 elephants. Throughout the years, workers continue to work on the Taj Mahal as weather and pollution have caused the white mausoleum to turn more yellow. (Three Lions/Getty Images)

The Taj Mahal's 42-acre complex was completed in 1653 after two decades of construction. The complex includes a mosque, a guest house, the main gateway, the outer courtyard, and a massive Mughal garden, a carefully crafted quadrilateral yard based on the garden of paradise mentioned in the Quran. The complex is estimated to have cost around $1 billion in modern values. (DeAgostini/Getty Images)

The Taj Mahal is the most well-known example of Mughal architecture, a style that incorporates Indian, Islamic, and Persian elements. For instance, the Taj Mahal’s large bulbous onion domes and tall slender towers known as minarets are traditional elements found in mosques. The building is also known for its impeccable symmetry. (Hermes Images/AGF/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being a "jewel of Muslim art." The outer walls of the Taj Mahal are made of white marble which are finely detailed with plant motifs. Arabic calligraphy of verses and passages from the holy book of Quran can also be seen on the walls of the tomb entrance. (Hermes Images/AGF/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The inside of the Taj Mahal is decorated with exquisite detail. Its marble walls feature delicate carvings of floral patterns and were inlaid with more than 30 types of precious and semi-precious stones. These stones came from around the world, including jade from China, turquoise from Tibet, sapphire from Sri Lanka, and white diamonds from Rajasthan. (Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Because Muslim tradition prohibits extravagant embellishment of graves, cenotaphs which are empty tombs that commemorate the dead are decorated instead.  Mahal’s cenotaph, right, and Jahan’s cenotaph, left, lie in the main chamber above the royal couple's actual tombs. The area is heavily ornamented with polished gemstones and detailed floral patterns. The emperor’s cenotaph is the only visible asymmetrical element of the palace, indicating that the placement was unplanned. (Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Beyond the Taj Mahal, the complex features gardens, gateways, a guest house, and a mosque. The southern gateway, which is the main entrance of the three, is erected in front of the Taj Mahal next to a luscious garden. The symmetrical double-story building was built mostly with red sandstone in contrast to the mausoleum’s ivory-white marble. It is bordered with Arabic calligraphy of verses from the Quran. (Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images)

According to Muslim law, any mausoleum built must be accompanied by a mosque. Thus, a mosque made of red sandstone was built west of the Taj Mahal towards Mecca. During Islamic holidays, Indian Muslims arrive to the mosque to pray. (Indraneel Chowdhury/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Because the complex was built to include symmetry, another building identical to the mosque was constructed on the opposite side east of the Taj Mahal. The mirrored structure served as a rest house or a place of assembly before prayer. The interior of both the mosque and rest house are heavily decorated with floral patterns. The floors are also built for prayer mats. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The Taj Mahal, which sits behind India’s Yamuna River, also faces another garden across the waterway. Mehtab Bagh, or Moonlight Garden, was developed on the north bank of the river and is perfectly aligned with the mausoleum. Legend says a black marble mausoleum was planned to be built on the opposite side of the Yamuna River. Jahan is said to have wanted to be buried in his own tomb site but was unable to do so before his death in 1966. Thus, the site for the Black Taj Mahal was converted into a garden. (Frédéric Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images)

Nearly four centuries after the Taj Mahal was erected, the mausoleum is still considered as one of the most beautiful buildings ever created. As one of the world’s most famous landmarks, the Taj Mahal attracts over seven million visitors annually, with almost one million from overseas. (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)