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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 Daudau0601 on Fri, 17/04/2020 - 03:52

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I live in Viet Nam and i have seen Phong Nha cave which is one of the most famous places. It is located in the west of Quang Binh province. It is distinguished by magical beauty with limestone, stalactites and acknowledged one of the cultural heritage sites of the world.
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Submitted by OlaIELTS on Thu, 16/04/2020 - 14:43

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The famous places I had seen are so numerous, just to mention few. They includes Taj Mahal, London's Secret Garden, Nigeria Stockexchange, Effitel Tower of Paris and so on.

Submitted by fathibba34 on Thu, 09/04/2020 - 11:19

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My best hobbie is traveling and discovery the world, for this i have visited many places in the world: 1- Eiffel Tower in Paris/ France. 3- musse of louvre in Paris too. 4- the disney land park in Paris. 2- the big ben in London/UK. 3- London eye. 4- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. 5- London and tower bridge. 6- top kapi palace in Istambul/turkey. 7- the blue mosque in Istanbul .

Submitted by conejo on Wed, 08/04/2020 - 04:39

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Well, I don´t really travel that much, however I have seen some famous places in the world. I enjoyed visiting the Statue of liberty in NYC.

Submitted by Mamta Gusain on Fri, 27/03/2020 - 11:12

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I have seen many famous places in India as i am from India. like Qutub Minar, The Red fort built by Shah Jahan, Amer Fort, Hawa Mahal, Lotus Temple, The Golden Temple etc. These are also historical monument and were built by famous king of their time. if i get opportunity to visit out of india then definitely go for that as i love to visit different different places.
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Submitted by Gelashvili Nika on Wed, 25/03/2020 - 16:07

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Hi There, I am from Georgia SAQARTVELO . In my country there are many fameos buildings for exsample: Sameba trinity catedral, Narikala castel, Svetitskhoveli church, Gelati and other . there are under protect of UNESCO heritigate
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Submitted by Smiley1 on Mon, 16/03/2020 - 13:52

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I'd like to see The Taj Mahal someday and have a spicy curry!

Submitted by jazmin marquez on Mon, 16/03/2020 - 12:34

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I have seen few famous places, but I always remember when I visited Mexico, there I could see the pyramids of the sun and the moon of Teotihuacan. These are very surprising because it represents the history of the indigenous peoples of Central America.

Submitted by Selma1987 on Fri, 06/03/2020 - 18:59

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One of the famous places I visit was Khalifa Tower in Dubai, it was amazing and there is dancing fountain in front of Khalifa Tower with very nice music..

Submitted by shahhoseini on Wed, 19/02/2020 - 17:03

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I have visited many famous historical places in my country and also have seen The Great Wall in China and Mecca in Saudi Arabia in other countries.