Taj Mahal earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones. Buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement. The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. It is a large, white marble structure standing on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an "iwan" (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial. Like most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin. The base structure is a large multi-chambered cube with chamfered corners forming an unequal
Taj Mahal (palace) Taj Mahal (palace) Taj Mahal is a palace built by Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal. It is located beside the Taj-ul-Masajid in Bhopal, India. The Taj Mahal at Bhopal was built as the Begum's residence, at a cost of 3,000,000. Its construction spanned over a period of 13 years, from 1871 to 1884. It was one of the largest palaces of the world built at that time. The building was originally named Raj Mahal ("royal palace"). The British Resident at Bhopal, highly impressed with the architecture, suggested that the palace be renamed the Taj Mahal, the Taj Mahal at