Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Seventeenth century Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, constructed the Taj Mahal. He chose to construct this magnificent monument in honor of his wife, Mumtaz. The Mughal dynasty is arguably one of the most famous Muslim dynasties in the world, and they are definitely the most famous Muslim dynasty in India. Babur, who was a descendent of Genghis Khan and Timur, started the Mughal dynasty. With the Mughal dynasty began a tradition of appreciation for the arts. This included building monuments, holding regular poetry readings, and appreciation for the musical arts as well. Babur’s son was Humayoon, who also was an avid builder. Perhaps, the most famous Mughal emperor was Humayoon’s son, Akbar. During Akbar’s reign, the Mughal Empire reached new heights. Akbar’s court was a plethora of arts, with a distinct royal touch to each art. He was the patron of many buildings, paintings, and much more. Akbar’s tomb is greeted with a large red sandstone gateway. Four minarets, a pattern later repeated by other Mughal emperors as well, also characterize it. In addition to that, it also has beautiful Qu’ranic verses in the form of calligraphy all over the monument, further providing beautification for the building. Akbar had three sons, one of whom was Jahangir, who went on to become emperor. Jahangir was married to a beautiful widow, Noor Jahan. After Jahangir turned to the more pleasurable things in life, Noor Jahan and her brother became de facto rulers of the empire. She constructed many massive buildings and monuments. Two of her most famous constructed works are the tombs she had built in honor of her parents, both of whom passed away within a month of each other. Noor Jahan and Jahangir’s son was Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan ruled the Mughal Empire for approximately thirty years. When he was twenty, he got married to Mumtaz Mahal, who was also twenty at the time. In their marriage of eighteen years, Mumtaz Mahal had a total of fourteen children, out of which only seven survived. One of their sons, Aurangzeb, went on to continue the Mughal Dynasty, and is regarded as the last