Image: unesco.org
A dedicated philanthropist based in Dallas, Texas, David T. Ball volunteers for events such as the Crawl for Cancer. David T. Ball spends much of his time traveling around the globe for work and pleasure and recently visited the Taj Mahal on a trip to India.
A distinctive building listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, the Taj Mahal attracts visitors from around the world to view its spectacular architecture. Most tourists, however, may not know the reason for the Taj Mahal’s construction: Shah Jahan, one of the Mughal emperors, commissioned its construction as a mausoleum for his favorite wife. The name of the building, Taj Mahal, even records her name, Mumtaz Mahal.
Shah Jahan met Mumtaz Mahal and fell in love with her when he was only 14. He married her five years later. The two were inseparable until Mumtaz Mahal’s death at the birth of their 14th child.
Shah Jahan began the construction of the Taj Mahal the year his wife died, in memory of her and as a symbol of his own power. The structure took 22 years to complete, with more than 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants working on its construction.
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