The Taj Mahal was built by the great Moghal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz. It has been regarded as the symbol of love of a man for his wife. It is one of the beautiful historical buildings in the world. Taj Mahal was built in the city of Agra in northern India. Agra was once the capital of India. Sikandar Lodhi was the first emperor who made this city the capital of his empire. The city of Agra is located on the bank of the river Yamuna in the state of Uttar Pardesh. The history and facts of this hreat gesture have made this monument one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Mumtaz Mahal was died in 1630. Shah Jahan ordered to construct this gesture in 1631. More than 20,000 workers were enlisted to build this fine piece of art. It took almost 22 years in the construction of this symbol of love and it was completed in 1653. It is made from white marble. The fine marble was brought from Rajasthan, a state in northern India. Taj Mahal is built in complex Moghal and Persian style. The great dome of the tomb is almost 35 meters high and is the most splendid portion of this architectural wonder. All the minarets symbolic of Muslim mosques are situated around the tomb. They are all 40 meters high.
Precious stones like nephrite; jade and amber with beautiful structure were used to decorate the interiors of the tomb. These stones were studded with sapphire, topaz and gemstones from the different part of central Asia. After the construction of this monument Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb. Shah Jahan was kept in Agra fort and he took his last breath there looking at the Taj Mehal.
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Torre pendente di Pisa or the leaning tower of Pisa is a wonderful structure in the world. It is located in Pisa, a city of Italy. It is an amazing freestanding bell tower. It was constructed on a poor foundation. It begin to lean towards southeast when the construction was in progress to the third floor in 1178.the construction had stopped for almost a century. The construction resumed in 1272. The tower is actually curved because upper floors were constructed with one side taller than the other. Construction was halted in 1284 because Genoans defeated the Pisans in the battle of Meloria. The seventh floor of the tower was built in 1319. Seven bells were installed there in 1655 and bell chamber in 1372.
The tower is 56.86 meter high on the low side and 56.70 meter high on the other side. The estimated weight of this wonderful tower is 14,500 metric tons. It leaned at an angle of 3.99. It has 296 steps to the top.
This great monument has a great attraction for the tourists due to its Romanesque style and long history. This great mass was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. In spite of all efforts made to maintain this historical building, it is still in danger to collapse