Taj Mahal replicas and derivatives Taj Mahal replicas and derivatives The Taj Mahal, an iconic structure in India, has inspired numerous replicas and derivatives. "The Taj", informally, is now a major tourist attraction in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and has been regarded as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Since 1632, when Mughal emperor Shah Jahan began building the Taj to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, it has inspired many notable replicas, and major derivative structures include a 1678-started project of the emperor's grandson. Some are intended to be scale models or otherwise to be more or less faithful
Taj Mahal dates due to differing opinions on "completion". Construction of the mausoleum itself was essentially completed by 1643 while work continued on the outlying buildings continued for years. Estimates of the cost of construction vary due to difficulties in estimating costs across time. The total cost at the time has been estimated to be about 32 million Indian rupees, which is around 52.8 billion Indian rupees ($827 million US) based on 2015 values. Abdul Hamid Lahauri in his book "Badshahnama" refers to Taj Mahal as "rauza-i munawwara", meaning the illumined or illustrious tomb. Soon after the Taj Mahal's completion, Shah Jahan