Why the Taj Mahal is considered a symbol of true love?

The Taj Mahal in Agra is considered to be the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals, the muslim rulers of India before the arrival of the British. The Taj Mahal was built by the emperor Shah Jahan as the mausoleum for his beloved wife, Mumtaz  Mahal, whom he married in1612. She bore him 14 children, and when she died during childbirth in 1631, he was totally devastated. It is said that his grief was so intense that his hair turned completely white.



Shah Jahan was determined that the depth of his love for Mumtaz Mahal should be expressed by creating for her the most magnificent mausoleum the world had ever seen. The result was the Taj Mahal, a poem in white marble brought from Rajasthan. Materials were brought in from all over the India and Central Asia, and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport it to the site. The Taj mahal was designed by the Iranian architect Ustad Isa, and expect craftsmen from different places were employed.

Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj mahal rises on a high red sandstone base, topped by a huge white marble terrace. Its famous dome is flanked by four tapering minarets. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen. Later, Shah Jahan was also entombed beside his wife. The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, the precious gemstones used, the magnificent gardens, and the picturesque location, all make the Taj Mahal one of the wonders of the world. Here, an emperor and beloved lie side by side for all time, making the Taj Mahal the symbol of everlasting love.