Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, is great example of Mughal art and architecture. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The building honors his favorite wife, who was dead. Rina wrote about how that some people believe that he built it just to showcase his wealth. I think this is a very valid argument because Shah Jahan made it so lavish and spent a significant amount of the empire's money. Built entirely out of white marble in 1648, it cost about 32 million rupees to build over a period of twenty two years. Its name, Taj Mahal, fittingly means Crown Palace. Under Shah Jahan, Mughal art and architecture were at their peak. This was not the first mausoleum that Shah Jahan built. He also built a tomb for his father Jahangir (the emperor who opened relations with the British leading to the downfall of the empire). Actually, Shah Jahan's own tomb was placed right next to his wife's in the Taj Mahal after his death. Rina also talked about how it shows the mixture of the beliefs of death in Hinduism and Islam. Both religions view death as very important, and clearly, Shah Jahan did too, as you can see in his interest in building tombs of people in his family. 

The lavishness of it showed the value of art in the Mughal Empire. Also its design is very similar to that of other Muslim buildings, such as mosques. It has a domed top which is a key feature of mosques. It involves the social, economical, and cultural aspects of SPECS. The social part is that many people came to see it from all over the empire because it was so beautiful. The economic part is that it cost 32 million rupees, which is obviously a lot of money, and significantly affected the economic condition of the Mughal Empire. But, the biggest aspect of it is the cultural one. It is a great example of Mughal art, as there are numerous examples of paintings and other art.

The Taj Mahal is still visited my thousands of people every single day.