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Encyclopedia entry

Read an encyclopedia entry on the Taj Mahal to practise and improve your reading skills.

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Encyclopedia entry

The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal (pronounced /ˌtɑːdʒ mə'hɑːl/) is a famous mausoleum next to the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. A mausoleum is a building where people bury the dead. The name Taj Mahal means 'the crown of palaces'.

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The most famous part of the Taj Mahal is the large white dome in the centre. It is 35 metres high and is surrounded by four smaller domes. The rooms inside the building are decorated with beautiful archways and precious stones in the walls. The buildings are surrounded by gardens with pathways, pools, fountains and green gardens.

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The construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and finished in 1653. It was built with materials from all over India and Asia, but the main material is white marble. Historians believe that the materials were transported by over 1,000 elephants for the construction.

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The emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a burial place for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. According to legend, he wanted to build another Taj Mahal in black on the other side of the river, but this never happened. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, many parts of the Taj Mahal were damaged by British soldiers, who took some of the precious stones from its walls. Over the years, the Taj Mahal has suffered from environmental damage, and there have been many government attempts to conserve its beauty.

4.

The Taj Mahal is one of India's most famous landmarks. There are millions of visitors to the mausoleum every year. The Taj Mahal is almost always included in lists of famous buildings to visit and is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Submitted by konatenasty on Wed, 28/10/2020 - 12:23

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I have seen three famous places.The pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Haile selassie museum in Addis-Abeba in Éthiopie and Nelson Mandela's house in South Africa.

Submitted by Lilly098 on Mon, 26/10/2020 - 17:06

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I have been to killing fields and Angkor wat in Cambodia. The architecture in Angkor war is indescribable. It is the most beautiful work that I have ever seen. Moreover, I was so touched by their culture, humbleness and peacefulness. However, I was so shocked when I visited killing fields; it is located far away from the main city. Many local people who had a hope to finish war were killed by local people themselves. I will never forget how important of peace is to the world.

Submitted by shawn peter ru… on Sat, 10/10/2020 - 14:01

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hi teacher could you please provide longer reading such 95 or more lines we need it or if you cant do it please say me that what can i do to find longer reading could you introduce me book or other source?

Hello again shawn peter,

You could try the Magazine and Stories section of our website, where the texts are a bit longer, though in general they're not going to be as long as 95 lines. If you do an internet search for 'practice reading comprehension English', I bet you can find lots of useful sites.

Best wishes,

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Roblox on Mon, 07/09/2020 - 20:09

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I've seen pretty much famous places in the United States and some other countries. They all have different interesting point of view. Borobudur is my favorite place I've had visited. The temple is unique and incredible. It's beyond our imagination how the temple was built.

Submitted by melisong56 on Wed, 19/08/2020 - 16:06

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I’ve been to many famous place before. Such as Petronas Tower in Malaysia, Merlion Statue in Singapore, Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, and many more. What impress me the most is Gyeongbokgung Palace, as one of the most historical places in South Korea. As I passed in, I could feel the atmosphere of Ancient palace. There are many guards wearing hanbok (traditional South Korea’s clothes) and we can even rent a clothes and take a picture in there. It is a nice impression to be able to experience such an old-times of the country.

Submitted by Arezoo Maleki on Tue, 18/08/2020 - 16:45

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I've seen so many famous places. CN tower was the last place I've visited. It is one of the main attractions in the city of Toronto and It's one of the tallest free-standing structure in the world. It was a weekday morning when I went there, so wasn't as crowded as I expected. you will have so much fun when you are going up. it has a great view from the top. you can see the whole city, lake, and a beautiful sky. A very nice atmosphere. It's a wonderful place to take cool photos. It offers several levels that have its own facilities. you can enjoy the highest levels (adrenaline rush activities for those not afraid of the height), and also the place has restaurants you can enjoy your food while you are seeing the spectacular view. I highly recommend visiting the Cn tower with family and friends

Submitted by Nobu1230 on Sat, 08/08/2020 - 08:59

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I've been to some famous places around the world.For instance "Grand canyon""Monument valley" in USA,"Cappadocia" in Turky,and some Japanase famous places.I can't recollect every places completely but I remember a part of memory and atmosphere there.In all places I've been to,the most impressive place is "Grand canyon".It had the vast earth and huge canyon which reminded us of the greatest of nature.I was very impressed.

Submitted by DrakonBZ on Sat, 08/08/2020 - 05:50

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Last year, me and my family went to Peru as a vacation. My uncle is the one who sponsors all of our accommodation as he is the manager of one of the hotel there. After resting for a while, we went to Macchu Picchu. It is one of the most exciting experience as we got to see one of the seven wonders in the world! it was recognized by UNESCO on the list of World Culture and Natural Heritage. Because it was high, my mother puked a few times as she never been to a mountain before.