The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centrepiece 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.
Taj Mahal
Shah Jahan, 17th century painting
Artistic depiction of Mumtaz Mahal
The Taj Mahal complex is situated on a platform on the banks of the Yamuna River.
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2)) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions.
Carrara marble quarry in Italy
The Marble Boat, a lakeside pavilion in the Summer Palace in Beijing, China
The Taj Mahal is clad entirely in marble
Folded and weathered marble at General Carrera Lake, Chile