Taj Mahal

In 1983, the Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is also an unrivaled monument to love.

The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century to enshrine his adored third wife Mumtaz Mahal after she died giving birth to their 14th child. Mumtaz and her husband are buried in an octagonal chamber with a domed roof on the upper floor of the mausoleum, which is surrounded by a latticed marble screen. The ground level is designed as a symmetrical series of smaller rooms that connect to minarets on the building's corners.

The Taj Mahal is surrounded by beautiful gardens on the banks of the Yamuna River. By placing the mausoleum at one end of the garden rather than in the middle, the Taj Mahal's beauty is enhanced by a reflection in the pool in front of it.

According to National Geographic, this pool is the only edifice that has ever come close to matching the Taj Mahal's beauty.

Location: Agra, India