Sasha_1

After being in India for the past 2 days we are on our way to Agra. After another 5 hour journey we arrived and settled in our new room. We only had one double bed, Whisked off again we made our way to the magnificent Taj Mahal. It goes without saying that it was incredible. It really felt a thousand miles from the rest of the city, so clean, and tranquil. I could have sat there all evening but sadly soon after sunset the heavens opened and a thunderstorm drove us away. Much in the style of our experience at the lotus temple in delhi an indian man asked if he could take a picture of us with his son. once we agreed he walked towards the building (to take the picture facing away from the taj). we admitted that we may be a pretty sight, but perhaps as the building behind him was equally as beautiful, and a wonder of the world, it might be an idea to get it in shot too as thats where we happened to be. he didnt seem bothered and took the picture as we were, and with hindsight i cant really blame him. As we had come to expect by now getting back to the hotel wouldn't be straight forward and sure enough we were taken to a marble shop to see how they made marble decorations. inevitably they then showed us the finished articles and tried hard at selling us a few.

The Taj Mahal is located in Agra. Construction began in 1632 and was completed in approximately 1648. The Taj Mahal (sometimes called "the Taj") is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 when it was described as a "universally admired masterpiece of the world's heritage. So of course I had to visit it. It was great.

A picture from the outside of this wonderful place, it was truely magnificant...