Task 2: Why Do I Like Real Estate?

The Taj Mahal

In 2008, me and a few of my friends decided to take a short tour through some of India's diversified states like Punjab, Delhi, and Agra. Being our last destination, Agra had one of the world's wonders - The Taj Mahal, which, I had seen only in pictures and history books about India. But it laid no foundation to what  I was to behold. Even better, I stood there awestruck at sunlight brushing lightly over white marble with all its glamour bringing to life a fascinating piece of art through architecture. This beautiful mausoleum was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal and stands as a masterpiece of Mughal Architecture. Talk about love!

The Art

The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653. It involved thousands of artists and craftsmen to design the interior and exterior. The decorations were created by applying  paint, stone inlays, or carvings. Another interesting work which you can see on the arches and doorways is calligraphy - something common in Mughal and Persian architecture.

The minarets which are 130 ft tall display the designer's penchant for symmetry. They were designed as working minarets which are a traditional element of mosques. The main chamber houses the false tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, the actual graves lie at a lower level. 
The Taj Mahal was constructed with materials from all over Asia and India. The white marble was brought from Rajasthan, jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China, turquoise from Tibet, sapphire from Sri Lanka and the carnelian from Arabia. Altogether, 28 types of precious stones were inlaid into the white marble. A view of this masterpiece at dusk magnifies the beautiful art work and brings the precious stones to life!