A Virtual Tour Of The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal as the symbol of love can never get old. No matter how many times you have witnessed it with your own eyes, or simply saw it on television or read about it, the Taj is a glorious monument that you cannot have enough of. If you have laid eyes on its sheer beauty once, you are never going to forget it. This white marble mausoleum located in the historic city of Agra is the must-visit place for couples, because of its graceful elegance and the larger-than-life love story associated with it. We hope you get to see this marvel of love with your naked eyes at least once in your life, but here's a virtual tour of the Taj Mahal until then.

Considered to be the finest example of Mughal architecture, the Taj Mahal is all flowing cupolas and intricate carvings. Combining design elements from the Persian, Indian and Ottoman Turkish architectural styles, this colossal structure was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1632. Inconsolable after the death of his third and most beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan decided to build her a resting place made out of white marble inlaid with precious stones. Thus was born the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The Tomb is the prime focus of the Taj Mahal. A picture in grandeur blending together various aspects of Persian architecture, the neighbouring sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan will at once sober and mesmerize you. Flaunting arch-shaped doorways, onion domes, vaulted archways, lotus motifs, gilded finial and domed kiosks, the tomb is a picture in classic elegance and vintage extravagance. Featuring ingeniously crafted minarets that were constructed in a way that in the event of collapse, the rubble from the towers would fall away from the tombs, the Taj Mahal proves to be quite ahead of its time.

The Taj Mahal is adorned with wonderful design elements like paint, stucco, stone inlay work and carvings. Throughout, verses from the Koran are used as decorative elements, and detailed, delicate calligraphy embellishes the Great Gate created by Amanat Khan. All over the exteriors of the monument, you will find abstract designs and depictions of flowers and vines that give the building an antiquated charm.

A contrast to the exterior traditional pattern of the Taj, its interiors sing a wholly different tune. Built from precious and semi-precious gemstones, the interiors of the Taj Mahal house the crypts of the royal couple that flaunt gorgeous gemstone inlay work and calligraphy identifying and praising each of the two. The two adjoining memorials reflect similar design elements; just that Shah Jahan's cenotaph is bigger than his wife's. Embodying extraordinary precision and delicate strength, the interiors of the Taj are magnificent in their intricate exquisiteness.