Is this the most beautiful building in the world? - Stephanie Honchell Smith

Dig into the construction of the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum that Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had built for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

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It’s 1631. Mumtaz Mahal, beloved wife of Emperor Shah Jahan, is giving birth to their 14th child. A healthy girl is born, but Mumtaz dies soon after. Sobbing uncontrollably, the emperor decides to build a tomb worthy of his queen: a replica of paradise to embody their love and project the power of the Mughal Empire for all time. Stephanie Honchell Smith details the construction of the Taj Mahal.

This video made possible in collaboration with Marriott Hotels

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[sahasrakondapalli]

Not only is this perfectly animated but the care of the narrator to pronoun words correctly really ties everything together.

[umap]

It's so sad that it used to be so much more beautiful than it is today. The inlay of jewels, the gold- it was stripped by thieves over time, so we can only imagine how it used to look when it was first built.

[kirbymarchbarcena]

Despite not having modern technology today, I am amazed for the ancient architects to be able to create this.

[TheManOfTomorrow]

Can we all appreciate how beautifully made this video is? I mean, just look at the godly skills of the editor/maker of this video.

[vid]

My god the art and animation for this video is just mind blowing! My favorite so far and I say this as a fellow artist. Really adds a great value to the beautiful story

[mayaandmoney]

I am from the city where Mumtaz mahal died, initially the Taj Mahal had to built in burhanpur. But due to logistics and porous nature of soil near the river of tapti, it shifted to Agra

[poulomi__hari]

The animation using old paintings of Mughals is so clever. Loved it so much.

[hope-.]

Thank you for putting a quote of our first Indian and Asia's first Nobel prize winner in literature- our beloved Rabindranath Tagore.
PS- The way the words are pronounced is perfection.

[jeannie]

This is my first time learning about the history of it. It just goes to show that people would construct monuments and go the distance for those they love. Don't ever lower your standards or settle for anything less than what you deserve.

[paramkanabar]

The video gave the best explanation of Taj Mahal ever...
But it didn't took 12 years 3:44, its 22 years. So please consider this.

[LordOrion]

The pics of Taj Mahal are nothing compared to the seeing it IRL. It is absolutely goosebumps when you see it with your own eyes.

[tiffanymarie]

I think it's safe to say the Taj Mahal is one of the most recognizable pieces of architecture to this day, so the Shah definitely succeeded in preserving his and his wife's love for all time.

[shaheer_]

The animation was out of this world man.

[mortezaehsani]

Taj Mahal is a perfect example of what love is capable of accomplishing.

[leah_]

This video was so perfectly animated and told such a beautiful tale. It was my first time learning about the origins of the Taj Mahal, so thank you TedEd for introducing people to such amazing stories.

I would also love it if TedEd did a linguistics riddles/puzzles series--I absolutely love the existing logic/math riddles, but I think it would be a lot of fun to expand it into words as well! Thank you for producing such amazing content, TedEd.

[thetinker]

I always thought why had Teded never made a video on one of the greatest monuments on the planet.
Now I have gotten the answer
they were waiting for a masterpiece good enough for the Taj.
And damn did they got it right.

[manoranjansahoo]

I have seen the Taj few years back. It’s probably the most beautiful man made thing you can see. I was fortunate to see the Taj under moon lights for a little while and it’s beyond words to describe.

[sandrocottusrex]

تاج محل ہندوستان کی شان ہے۔ سبھی تہذیبوں کا میل ہے اور پیار کی نشانی ہے جو ایک شہنشاہ نے اپنی ملکہ سے کیا۔ زندہ باد ہو مغلیہ تہذیب، زندہ باد ہو ہندوستانی تہذیب۔

[reem]

This was so beautiful I want to cry. I think it’s interesting to note that in Islam we believe the dead can hear you speak when you’re near their grave, so Shah designed the Taj Mahal to make sure Mumtaz was able to hear the recitation of Quran, hence the design that enhances echoing.