Agra is famous as being home to one of the seven wonders of the world-the Taj Mahal. The architectural splendour of the mausoleums, the fort and the palaces is a vivid remainder of the capital in the 16th and early 17th centuries.

While its significance as a political centre ended with the transfer of the capital to Delhi in 1634 by Shah Jahan, its architectural wealth has secured its place on the international map. Agra is known for its superb inlay work on marble by craftsmen supposedly the descendants of those who worked under the Mughals on the Taj. The city is also famous for its carpets, gold thread embroidery and leather shoes. Agra was once the capital of the Mughal Empire and even today it seems to linger in the past.

Not surprising, for the Mughal emperors with their passion for building, endowed the city with some of the finest structures in the world. Agra is an old city and it is said that its name was derived from Agrabana, a forest that finds mention in the epic Mahabharata. In more recent times Agra came into prominence when Sikandar Lodhi made it his capital city in 1501. The Lodi rule was to end very soon and Agra passed into the possession of the Mughals. It was during the time of the third emperor Akbar that Agra came into its own. He embarked on the construction of the massive Agra Fort in 1565 though Akbar was diverted into building a new capital at Fatehpur Sikri not far away.

The Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was built as a mausoleum for the mughal Empress Mumtaz Mahal. This magnificent building is not just Emperor Shah Jahan's symbol of love for his beloved, or simply another example of the mughal architecture it is a contribution to the world heritage.

This love's labour involved 22 long years of effort by 20,000 people. The construction of the tomb began in 1631, when Mumtaz Mahal passed away while giving birth to Shah Jahan's 14th child, and was finally completed in 1653. It is best seen at dawn or by moonlight when the beautiful jewelled marble lights up. The flowing Jamuna right behind the palatial monument adds to its beauty. The building stands in full glory on the high podium with a paradise setting of walled gardens.

Lawns, gardens, pools and mosques aptly surround the huge building, on the banks of one of the most sacred rivers of the religious land of India. This world-renowned monument has onion shaped domes and flanking towers in a\relaxed the park setting. Each work of art with the lavish use of gem stones on the flawless marble is an example of perfection. There are flower motifs with as many as 64 pieces of precious stones. The most ornate area houses the grave of queen Mumtaz Mahal (the queen's name after marriage) or Arjumand Banu (the queen's real Name) at the lower chamber. The grave of Shah Jahan or Shahab-ud-din (the emperor's real name) was added to it later.