THE TOMB OF AN EMPRESS.
Should you ever visit Agra, in India, you would see one of the most beautiful tombs in the world. It is called the Taj Mahal, and was built by the Emperor Shah Jehan in memory of his beautiful and dearly loved wife.
He began to erect it in 1630, and it was not finished until 1647, though twenty thousand workmen were employed on it during those seventeen years. One hundred and forty thousand cart-loads of pink sandstone and marble were used in this mausoleum, and every province in the empire sent jewels to adorn it.
From the Punjab came jasper, from Broach carnelians, from Thibet turquoises, from Yemen agates, from Ceylon lapis lazuli, from Arabia coral, from Bundelcund garnets, from Punnah diamonds, from Persia onyx, from Malwah rock-crystal, and from Colombo sapphires.
The tomb stands on the bank of the Jumna, its golden crescent rising two hundred and seventy feet above the level of the river. The garden in front of it is surrounded by high walls, with a pavilion at each corner.
At the end of a wide avenue bordered by cypress-trees stands the Taj, a dazzling mountain of white marble, uplifted from a terrace of pink sandstone. In shape it is an irregular octagon, the longest sides of which measure one hundred and twenty feet, with a terraced roof, and a magnificent dome in the centre.
From base to summit the edifice is inlaid with arabesques, inscriptions, and mosaics as dainty and delicate as the finest lace. Bishop Heber said of this tomb that it was "built by Titans and finished by goldsmiths."
Within, the ceiling walls and tombstones are a mass of precious stones representing flowers, fruits, and birds. The windows are rose-tinted.
Through the silence steals now and then a faint and musical echo, caused by the dome, which being closed by the ceiling of the hall, forms a whispering-gallery.
All this magnificence commemorates an Empress whose goodness and loveliness were such that her name is honored throughout the East.