For centuries, the Taj Mahal (inspire) has inspired poets, painters and musicians to try and capture its elusive magic in word, colour and song. It (BE) is one of the most flawless architectural creations of the world. Since the 17th century, travellers (cross) have crossed continents to come and see this ultimate memorial to love, and few (be) have been unmoved by its incomparable beauty.
Taj Mahal (stand) stands in the city of Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of the Yamuna River. It (build ) was built in the memory of the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum, who (win) won the heart of a Mughal prince. She (marry) married at 21 to Emperor Jahangir’s third son Prince Khurram and (stay) stayed loyally by his side through good times and bad: in the luxurious royal palaces of Agra as well as the transient tents of war camps.
In AD 1628, Khurram (become ) became king after a bloody battle of succession: he (take) took the name Shahjahan or “King of the World” and (shower) showered his beloved begum with the highest titles. She (become) became Mumtaz Mahal, the exalted of the palace and Mumtaz-ul-Zamani, the exalted of the Age. But Mumtaz Mahal was not destined to be queen for long.
In 1631, Shahjahan (go) went on an expedition to the south and, as always, Mumtaz Mahal (accompany) accompanied him. But she (die) died in childbirth at Burhanpur. She (give) had given Shahjahan fourteen children, of whom four sons and three daughters (survive)survived. When Mumtaz Mahal (die) died, she (be) was just 39 years old. Shahjahan (be) was inconsolable and contemporary chronicles (tell) tell of the royal court mourning for two years. there (be) was no music, no feasting, and no celebration of any kind.
Over 20,000 workmen and artists (hire) were hired to complete the work but the monument still (take) took around 20 years to build. The building (cover) was covered in white marble and precious stones. When the emperor (die) died in 1666, he (bury) was buried next to his beloved Mumtaz. Today, the Taj Mahal (consider) is considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. More than that, it (see) is seen as a symbol of true love.
