The Taj Mahal near the city of Agra in northern India and on the south bank of the Jamuna River is among the world's most famous and beautiful buildings. In fact, it is regarded as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Built by over 20,000 workers over a period of 20 years, the Taj Mahal is one of the most expensive tombs in the world. Every year, thousands of people from all over the world go to India in order to visit this masterpiece often referred to as the monument of eternal love. Over the course of this essay, the influence of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles with respect to the Taj Mahal will be discussed.
             The Taj Mahal was constructed by the Indian ruler Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal who in 1629 died during childbirth. The design of the Taj Mahal cannot be credited to any single designer. In fact the identity of the chief designer is highly debated. Some of the possible designers include Geronimo Veroneo from Italy and Austin de Bordeaux of France. However, the Taj Mahal was most likely designed by Ustad Ahmad from Lahore, India (now part of Pakistan). It is believed that numerous other designers such as Ismail Khan (builder of the domes) and Chiranjal (sculptor and mosaicist) were also involved in the project, Records suggest that Shah Jahan had originally planned on building a replica of the Taj Mahal made of black marble on the opposite side of the Jamuna river. Apparently, this second Taj was meant to hold Shah Jahan's remains following his death. However, Shah Jahan failed to fulfil his dream of building a second Taj due to lack of funds (it cost 32 million Rs. to build the Taj Mahal) and his sudden incarceration by son Aurangzeb. Consequently, the emperor spent the last years of his life in jail looking at the reflection of the Taj provided by a mirror in his cell. Shah Jahan passed away at the age of 74 following a missive overdose of opium and aphrodisiacs. His caske...