So the Taj Mahal is all that. The scale and beauty of the monument is truly mesmerizing.
The planning and detail that went into constructing this iconic building is impressive on every level. On the macro side, it is enormous. You only see it for the first time as you walk through the gate opening up into its grounds. It is then, that it truly becomes larger than life. Sitting there in the sun gleaming in all its white glory. The symmetry of the site then becomes apparent in the Taj Mahal itself, the grounds and the two large, identical functioning mosques that flank it is breathtaking.
This is the gate through in which you enter the Taj Mahal grounds (photo below).
Your first glimpse of the mausoleum. The long line up of people waiting to take a peak inside provides some scale to just how large the building is. It was quite an undertaking to construct considering that it was completed in 1643.
Up close, it is easier to see the detailed scripture from the Koran inlayed on walls in black marble and the inlayed flowers made of semi-precious stones.
One of the two identical mosques that flank the Taj Mahal.
As the sun goes down, the building takes on a new look and the crowd starts to thin.
