Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal
Photo by Els Slots.

The Taj Mahal is an Indo-Islamic mausoleum with unique aesthetic qualities.

It was built in the 17th century as a tomb for the favourite wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The building in white marble shows perfect symmetry. Innovative also was its position at the end of the garden, giving perspective to the views of the monument, and the four free-standing minarets. Situated on the banks of the Yamuna River, the walled complex further includes two mosques and an imposing gateway.

Community Perspective: “some sites are so iconic, there seems to be nothing more one can add”. Nan however “felt a sort of emptiness creeping up”.

Map of Taj Mahal

Load map

Community Reviews

Write a review


Nan

Germany - 17-Oct-14 -

When I visited India in January 2014 I figured a trip to the Taj Mahal was a must. I had seen so many pictures and I wanted to actually be there. So I booked a flight from Southern India (warm) to Jaipur (cold) and made my way east to Agra.

And there it was... The Taj... As seen before on all those pretty pictures. But after spending some time on the site, looking at the architecture, the gardens, the interior of the Taj, ... I felt a sort of emptiness creeping up. Being there didn't add anything to what I had already seen on pictures. I actually think it reduced the value of the site to me. I asked myself why, and I came up with a few reasons:

  • Build for Show
    The Taj looks great on post cards, but to me the details are lacking. The garden's aren't great, the surrounding buildings or the interiors neither. I have been to Cordoba and the Alhambra and those buildings are on a whole different artistic level.
  • Purpose
    This is a site labelled a monument of love to the emperor's dead wife. To me, though, this felt like a monument to the greatness and power of the builder, not his deceased wife. The site did not invoke any sense of mourning about a lost one in me. Contrast that with Humayun's Tomb in Delhi where I really felt like a lost one was gone.
  • Purpose Continued
    As you may also read his wife died giving birth to the emperor's child. It was their 14th child! Having that many children would even be dangerous in today's times, let alone 17th century India. A loving husband could have considered some form of birth control. Sorry, that I don't find that very romantic.
  • Surroundings
    Agra was like the worst city I visited while in India. The river is basically toxic waste. The neighborhood run down... While this has little impact on the OUV, it doesn't improve the overall experience neither.

A little later a friend of mine also went. Before going he asked me about it and I told him about my reservations. I also told him that I didn't wanna be the reason why he never went, so he should go. So he went. And he agreed with me.

Going to Agra, though, was still a treat as I also visited Fatepur Sikri and Keoladeo National Parks, two sites I enjoyed greatly.


Clyde

Malta - 07-Sep-12 -

Taj Mahal by Clyde

Calling this WHS a beauty is an understatement. I visited the Taj Mahal in December 2011 and spent 2-3 days exploring and taking in this wonder. The first morning rays of sunrise lifting the thick mist off the Taj Mahal is an unforgettable experience. The Taj appears before your eyes gradually almost as if it were floating in the air. A pair of Egyptian Vultures were soaring in the sky above the main white marble dome. The symmetry and architecture of the whole site is mind-bogging and it is so huge that it never seems to be overcrowded. Don't go there with an organised tour for a quick rush through the site. Take your time to admire one of the wonders of the world!


Ronald Lange

Netherlands - 19-Aug-11 -

A truly stunning experience. Walking through the gate building and there it presents itself in all its splendour and glory: the Taj Mahal. Not too crowded (may 2010). As a part of a trip to northern India, the golden triangle, this was the summit.


Stewart ayukawa

canada - 04-Sep-10 -

I visited the Taj in 1987 but it doesn't really matter , does it? It's timeless. I was going to actually give the Taj a pass and skip it. After all, how many times has one seen the Taj in movies, images, brochures etc. Many times. But coincidentally, the train route i was taking from Calcutta to Bombay made a needed stop in Agra.

I arrived pre dawn and had read in the guide book that the best time to view the Taj was at sunrise, sunset, or under the stars and moon. So by chance I had arrived at an opportune time. I hired a boy who pedalled a rickshaw but he went the wrong way! yep. I couldn't believe it. Eventually we got there and i was the first one in! It helps to get there early! I managed to get a photo with noone in the foreground. I was pleased with that.

Part of the magic of seeing the Taj in person is the way the light of the sun and moon play off the marble. The mood of the Taj literally changes . It really is a remarkable experience. I also saw it in the early evening and the mood and sillouette of the Taj impressive. Best seen early or late to avoid the crowds.


Stephen Brooker

UK - 10-Sep-08 -

Some sites Machu Pichu, The Pyramids, Petra are hard to review because they are so icconic, that there seems to be nothing more one can add.

The Taj Mahal is another such WHS, which like the afore mentioned places, really does take one's breath away; such is the power of it's radiant marble symetry.

However it does not function just upon a grandiose scale, up close the exquisite workmanship stuns, the gardens are seductive, and the ancillery buildings shield you from what by comparrison is the vulgar and mundane of the outside world.

I'm told the whole ensemble is supposed to be a relisation of heaven on earth. Did they succeed? Well if you can go and decide for yourself, it might just be the closest you get in this life to paradise.


Christer Sundberg

Sweden -

Taj Mahal by Christer Sundberg

At first light of dawn, when a cool breeze fills the air and the morning sun shines on the palace, Taj Mahal is at its height of beauty. Set against the azure skyline, it looks like a mirage in a desert - the greatest monument to love.

It was exactly like this when, on an early December morning, I made my first visit to the legendary monument. It is certainly also true that it is a very special view to see the early morning sun rays embrace this absolutely magnificent white marbled tomb.

The story has been told many times - of Shah Jahan's favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal,

who died at the age of 39 when delivering a child and the greif that then made the Shah immortalize their love by building the 'dream in marble' - 22 years in the making with the help of over 22.000 craftsmen.

History tells that when Shah Jahan started to plan for his OWN mausoleum to be built in black marble across the river Yamuna, his son had just about enough of his fathers spending and locked him up in the Agra Fort. And there he sat until the day he died, gazing at the distant tomb of his long-lost wife. Almost makes you want to shed a tear, right..?


Rob Wilson

UK -

Kipling said it was the 'Gateway through which all dreams must pass'.

Tagore said that is was 'A tear on the face of Eternity'.

Those descriptions sum this wonderful place up better than anything I could say. It's just a shame about the entry fees.


Site Info

Full Name
Taj Mahal
Unesco ID
252
Country
India
Inscribed
1983
Type
Cultural
Criteria
1
Categories
Structure - Burial
Link
By ID

Site History

1983 Inscribed

Locations

The site has 1 locations

Taj Mahal

Connections

The site has

Architecture
Constructions
Damaged
Geography
History
Individual People
Religion and Belief
Timeline
Trivia
Visiting conditions
WHS Hotspots
WHS on Other Lists
World Heritage Process

Visitors

Community Members have visited.

A. Mehmet Haksever AC Aanusha Adiaro18 Afshin Iranpour Airpunk Akhilpreeti Alberto Rodriguez Gutierrez Alex Marcean Alexander Barabanov Alexander Lehmann Alexander Parsons Alexfangel Alfons and Riki Verstraeten Alfredchu Ali Zingstra Allison Vies Amitlchoudhuryjbp Amohanty Andrew Wembridge Andyng-site Angela Vandyck Ani Anna Wludarska Annalett Swanepoel Anonymous15788 Anticpantaloon Antlane Anuradha Goyal Ari Kailash Arianna Artur Anuszewski Arw456 Aspasia Athena2186 Atila Ege Austra78 BH Bag-packer-family Bamse Bas Bborders Beaglekeeper5 Ben Pastore Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero Bgbaum Bin Bob Parda Bob pateman Boj Bram de Bruin Brendan Carroll Brigitte Huber Bspooner Buzz CalvinLoh Carlo Medina Carlo Sarion Carlos Garrido Carolinerowe25 Carstenhansen Catherine Rankine Celina Nanbara Chen Taotao ChenMing Chenboada Cheryl Chinmaya Chole Ross Chris Law Chrissiequirk272@gmail.com Christer Sundberg Cirene Moraes Claire Bradshaw Claire Taylor ClaireWhiteley Clem C Corbomite Corinne Vail Corneliaswift Coulpete Craig Harder Czesioszpachelka D.dedisse@vogo.fr DanVoyageur Daniel Gabi Dasexps David Marton Deborah Caster Devon Diggy Dkabanov Docnair Donald M Parrish Jr Donia Donnico DouglasR Drinkteatravel DuSilo Duesi73 Dutchbirder ELVAN YURDUSEN Eldhoelias67 Eleonora Elisabeth Fransisca Situmorang Els Slots Emi_mimmi Eric Lorentz Eric Lurio Eric PK Erik Jelinek Everlien FGKJR1492X Fan Yibo Fderuet Fedekiwi Fedemarch92 Ferdimerkx Fernweh Filip Murlak Fmannucci Francky D'Hoop Frederik Dawson Frediehung Gagan Gill Garrett Gary Arndt GatorTravel Ge zhang Geert Luiken George Evangelou GerhardM Gernot Gianmarco Gianni Bianchini Gill Colman Gilles Gisella Gooseta2 Gordon Mitchell Greg Troy Grzegorz Andruszkiewicz HE SHAOMIN HPayne2804 Hadrianus Haining Guan Handballrama Hanming Harald T. HaraldOest Harry Mitsidis Hfxdeb Hidalgo Hidalgo Howard Brayer Howe Siang Tan Hrishikesh Hsjamsil Htupaz Hurrvinek Hyoga IC Iain Jackson Ian Coldwell Ibonez Ingrid Iwilliams J Mitchell Jacob Choi Jacob Otten Jaehyeon Jay Park Jan-Willem Jana and Matt Janeyvette Janis Janklak Janmoch Jarek Pokrzywnicki Jason and Corrinna Javier Coro Jcendres2 Jean Lecaillon JeanK Jeankedezeehond Jeanne OGrady Jeffrey Chai Ran Jennifer Prout Jezza Jiangliu bian Joachim Nölte-Baumann Joel on the Road JoeriNortier JohanneB John Westray John booth Johnson Zhao Jonathanfr Jonathanliao Jos Schmitz Jose Joshuakirbens Josie Borst Jovanjovan Joyce van Soest Jsalda Jsrinivasan Jtb105 Judit Dalla Judith Tanner JudyWalsh Julianna Lees Jungliemonkey Junwang111 Juropa Justinawallace KAO KB1 Karl Grossner Kbolton Keith90245 KeithBailey Kelly Henry Kelseyyurek Kenzaseb Keqi Kevin McFarland Kevin Padley-Knight Kgeographer Kinstell Kjlauer Klaus Bondar Knomadc Knut Koen Vliegenthart Kokoro Krijn Kurt Lauer Lameduck99 Lara Adler Larry F Lars Bogstad Lars Jensen Lauren Leontine Helleman Lichia Liu tuo Liverpool1023 Loic Pedras Longdutch Loratodorova Lorenzo2022 Lovinfosse@gmail.com Lucas Del Puppo Lucio Gorla Ludvan Lukasz Palczewski Luke LOU MHasuly MMM MSNarayanan MaYumin Maciej Gowin Mahuhe Malcolm Malgorzata Kopczynska Maltishah100 Marcel staron Marcobrey Marie Morlon Mariellex55 Marina Mark K. Marleen Speelman-Kooijmans Marlies van Wolfswinkel Marton Kemeny Mateusz Matthewrw Matthewsharris Mattias Mauralin13 Michael Ayers Michael Cummings Michael Novins Michael Turtle Michal Kozok Michal Marciniak Michelle.has.murphy Mihai Dascalu Mikek Mikko Milan Jirasek MirksB Mnikish730 MoPython Monica Tasciotti Morodhi N273235s Naim Y Nan NataliaS Nathaniel Chin Nej153 Nihal Ege Nomad99 Okke Olli-Pekka Turunen OnlyTheSnake PKalnai Pang Liang Fong Pascal Cauliez Patphilly Patrick Matgen Patrik Patrik_globe Paul Hilder Paul Schofield Peltzi Pepewh Peter Day PeterA Petteri Philipp Leu Philipp Peterer Phillipmeng PhotographyBar Pieter Dijkshoorn Pillaus Pink Bunny Potsdamer Prasadsawant Priyaranjan Mohapatra Qin Xie Qqalexqq Rahul Rathi RahulSharma Ralf Regele Randi Thomsen Ravishankar Red Reisedachs Reza Ri Riccardo Quaranta Richard Stone Riomussafer Rob Wilson Robin Frank Roger Ourset Roland Roman Bruehwiler Ronald Lange Roxfts Royacurt Rswood Rvieira Ryan09sb S1m0n3t4 SHIHE HUANG Sachin SaoDies Sascha Grabow Saxondean Sciencechick316 Seethebee Sergio Arjona Seudy Shandos Cleaver Shannon O'Donnell Simisingh3 Simonf Skalec Socon Solivagant Sophie Srfmoyle Stanislaw Warwas SteO153 Stefan and Mia Stephanv Stephanvermeulen Stephen Brooker Stephen S. Kamin Steve Preddy Strogan Subhayan_svnit Sue hayton Sujan Kumar Sumo446595@hotmail.com Sun_jianyuan@me.com Super-Sophie Sutul Svein Elias Swazzer30 Szucs Tamas Tamara Ratz Tammy Gouldstone Tevity The Salmons TheShabe Thomas Kunz Thomas van der Walt TimPick Timonator Timothy C Easton Tlaloc Tonioto Tony H. Tony0001 Tourhistrio Toya HornHoward TravelPeter84 Travelindan Travelure Travtasy Trevni Trine Truls Brekke V&M Vanessacmc Vernon Prieto Vicente B. Avanzado Jr. Vincent Cheung Voyager WHS Lux Wait About Walter H. Wang Qin Waxwing Werner Huber Wieland William Quan Wodynski Wolfgang Hlousa Wolfgang Sander WolfgangHl Wouter Wtrentfox Wuzefelix Xtopher33 YAO WEI Yamen Yorch Yuri Samozvanov Zhang xiaozhong Zhou Cheng Zos M Zoë Sheng Zsuzsanna Forray _johsch_