The Taj
Mahal was built by
the Mugal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his
third (and favorite) wife, Arjumand Banu, who
died in 1631 while giving birth to the couple's
fourteenth child. It is believed that the
structure's familiar name comes from the
empress's popular name, Mumtaz-i-Mahal, which
means Pride of the Palace.