You may talk about the seven ancient wonders of the world, and how much you would have liked to see them when they were in their prime. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Temple of Zeus, the Great Pyramids of Giza, and others. People also talk about the modern wonders of the world. The colosseum, blah blah blah. But one that has outlasted any other, is the Taj Mahal. It is an ancient wonder, but it is also a modern wonder. This perfectly symmetrical masterpiece was built by the great emperor Shah Jahan. Fourth in the line of Mogul kingship. It is a monument built out of love, when Shah Jahan’s beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal, died giving birth to their fourteenth child. It is one of the most expensive wonders of the world, because it is entirely made of white marble, and inlaid with other precious stones by the most skilled craftsman and artisans. But the real reason that made it expensive, is that the marble had to be imported all the way from Udaipur, 375 kilometers away! When Shah Jahan was beginning to grow old, he decided to design and build another Taj Mahal for himself, but entirely black. Facing his queen’s, with just the river Yamuna in between, to symbolize their everlasting love. However, Shah Jahan’s sons had become strong, and locked him away in the Agra fort. Imprisoning him for the rest of his life. Thus, he was buried next to his queen. In the beautiful white monument. One reason why it is so beautiful? It’s the same color as bird poop. So it can’t be stained.
Fanatical Sabbatical 