<P> The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". Described by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as "the tear - drop on the cheek of time", it is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India's rich history . The Taj Mahal attracts 7--8 million visitors a year . In 2007, it was declared a winner of the New7Wonders of the World (2000--2007) initiative . </P> <P> The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1631, to be built in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, a Persian princess who died giving birth to their 14th child, Gauhara Begum . Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 . The imperial court documenting Shah Jahan's grief after the death of Mumtaz Mahal illustrate the love story held as the inspiration for Taj Mahal . The principal mausoleum was completed in 1643 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished about five years later . </P> <P> The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian and earlier Mughal architecture . Specific inspiration came from successful Timurid and Mughal buildings including the Gur - e Amir (the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in Samarkand), Humayun's Tomb, Itmad - Ud - Daulah's Tomb (sometimes called the Baby Taj), and Shah Jahan's own Jama Masjid in Delhi . While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones . Buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement . </P> <P> The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal . It is a large, white marble structure standing on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan (an arch - shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial . Like most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin . </P>

The monument that inspired the taj mahal a mughal mausoleum
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