The Taj Mahal was built by 20,000 workers from the north of India in the middle of the Seventh Century by order of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of one of his wives, Mumtaz Mahal. And although most famous for its white domed marble and tile mausoleum, the Taj Mahal is in fact a symmetric complex of structures that includes a mosque, a beautiful gatehouse and several other mausoleums, including those of Shah Jahan's other wives.
But it is the white marble tomb topped by a large marble dome that its millions of visitors come to see. Truly a building that will take your breath away, set as it is around a 300m courtyard of gardens and water features.
The best time to visit the Taj Majal is from the middle of January to April and from September to the middle of December. From April to mid-June can be extremely hot and July and August are the monsoon season. In late December and early January, Agra is often covered in thick freezing fog.
The Taj Mahal is open every day from 6am to 7:30pm except Friday. Entry costs Rs. 250 (plus a tourist levy of Rs. 500 which is valid for all of Agra's tourist attractions, but only for one day). It is located more or less in the middle of town and expect to queue to get into the grounds.
There are three entrance gates, with the western gate being the main point of entry and where most tourists enter. The southern and eastern gates are much less busy, especially on public holidays and at the weekend.
Get there as early as possible to beat the crowds, and if possible visit the Taj at two different times during the day (dusk and dawn are best) in order to experience the full effect of the changing sunlight on the building. It is also absolutely stunning under a full moon.
Traffic is not allowed near the complex because of the threat posed by pollution and so you will have to either walk from the car parks or catch an electric bus.
And for security reasons, only water in transparent bottles, small video cameras, still cameras, mobile phones and small purses are allowed to be carried inside the Taj Mahal.
The city of Agra is 200km south east of New Delhi and is one of the points of the tourist's Golden Triangle of Agra, Delhi and Jaipur. It is well connected by rail and road with both Delhi, Jaipur and other nearby cities and tourist destinations.
As well as the Taj Mahal, Agra boasts two other UNESCO World Heritage attractions - the Agra Fort and the nearby medieval town of Fatehpur Sikri.
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