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| Just Perfect for Emperor Shah Jahan's Wife |
Original Painting by Stanley Port
Acrylic on canvas 51 x 76 cm |
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The Taj Mahal in Agra at sunset. This is the view from the banks of the River Yamuna at sunset, when the startling white marble palace takes on a pinky-golden glow.
It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his favourite wife after she had died giving birth to their fourteenth child. Work began in 1632, continued for twelve
years, and the building was to be of such dimensions that it would reflect the full depth of his sadness. As an art lover, Shah Jahan took a personal interest in the
construction, now renowned as the most beautiful building in the world. The Taj Mahal is flanked on either side by two identical buildings built from red sandstone, one
of which is a mosque. A legend has it that Shah Jahan intended that a replica of the Taj Mahal, but in black marble, would be built on the opposite side of the river, as
his own mausoleum.
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