Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal (meaning "Crown of the Palace") is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned from 1628 to 1658), to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is the centerpiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.

Construction of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643 but work continued on other phases of the project for another 10 years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be approximately 52.8 billion rupees (U.S. $827 million). The construction project employed some 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by the court architect to the emperor, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". It is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India's rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year.

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The Royal Gate

Lotus Temple and India Gate

The Lotus Temple, located in Delhi, India, is a Bahá'í House of Worship notable for its flowerlike shape. Like all Bahá'í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion or any other qualification.

India Gate is a memorial to 70,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in the period 1914–21 in the First World War, in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, Persia, East Africa, Gallipoli and elsewhere in the Near and the Far East, and the Third Anglo-Afghan War.

Qutb Minar, Delhi, India

The Qutb Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world and forms a part of the Qutb complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Delhi, India.

The iron pillar of Delhi is famous for the rust-resistant composition of the metals used in its construction. The pillar weighs over 6,000 kg (13,000 lb). A fence was erected around the pillar in 1997 in response to damage caused by visitors. There is a popular tradition that it was considered good luck if one could stand with one's back to the pillar and make one's hands meet behind it. The practice led to significant wear and visible discoloration on the lower portion of the pillar

Camel Safari

Desert camel safari in Dubai and an Emirati dinner at a Bedouin-style camp.

 

Interwoven in Dubai’s cultural fabric, falconry has always been a vital part of desert life, from being used in hunting to evolving into a regal sport.