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The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal (pronounced /ˌtɑːdʒ mə'hɑːl/) is a famous mausoleum next to the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. A mausoleum is a building where people bury the dead. The name Taj Mahal means 'the crown of palaces'.

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The most famous part of the Taj Mahal is the large white dome in the centre. It is 35 metres high and is surrounded by four smaller domes. The rooms inside the building are decorated with beautiful archways and precious stones in the walls. The buildings are surrounded by gardens with pathways, pools, fountains and green gardens.

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The construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and finished in 1653. It was built with materials from all over India and Asia, but the main material is white marble. Historians believe that the materials were transported by over 1,000 elephants for the construction.

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The emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a burial place for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. According to legend, he wanted to build another Taj Mahal in black on the other side of the river, but this never happened. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, many parts of the Taj Mahal were damaged by British soldiers, who took some of the precious stones from its walls. Over the years, the Taj Mahal has suffered from environmental damage, and there have been many government attempts to conserve its beauty.

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The Taj Mahal is one of India's most famous landmarks. There are millions of visitors to the mausoleum every year. The Taj Mahal is almost always included in lists of famous buildings to visit and is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Encyclopedia Britannica article on the Taj Mahal: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Taj-Mahal
UNESCO Profile of the Taj Mahal: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/252

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What famous places have you seen?

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Yes, of course. When I was in the third grade at junior high school, I went to Hiroshima for my school trip, I saw the Atomic Bomb Dome. At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, there are many items on display that recall the day that the Bomb dropped. Those made me sad and I felt so sorry about what happened on 1945 August 15. I saw paper cranes gifted by President Obama. Wars should never be started. Everyone in the world, please visit Hiroshima. You'll regret it if you don't go. I hope one day we could see a more peaceful world.

I have visited many famous places so far, above all New Zealand’s tourist spots is most impressive. When I was six grades of elementary students, I did study abroad for three weeks in NZ. The country is famous for beautiful natures. I went Rotorua, there is famous for Pohutu Geyser, Maori history and folklore. I saw a geyser’s spurt. That had an impact for me. Sky Tower is a symbol of Auckland. This tower has a lot of activity and restaurants. The restaurant in the observation deck, we can see a beautiful view around the 360 degrees. I had a lunch there. The cityscape of the New Zealand is very beautiful and is enchanted. In Japan, I have been to Okinawa, there is a wonderful scenery. There is no sea in the prefecture where I live. So, I feel special when I saw the sea. Someday, I want to travel around world and see a lot of beautiful scenery.　

When I was a high school students, I went to Canada for a week to study English.　I saw a lot of buildings and views in Canada. Here are some of the things I saw. I went to Gastown in Vancouver. There are a lot of shops and restaurants. It is very fun for us to buy clothes, goods and so on. And I saw the steam clock in this town. Many tourists go to see this clock. I felt so much history when I saw this clock. In addition, I went to Capilano Suspension Bridge and I was healed by Canadian nature. I was very moved by the scenery. These spots are very amazing. I want to go there again.

When I was in the second year of highschool, I went to Okinawa as a school trip. And we visited "Shuri Castle". This construction is known one of the world heritage-listed and has a long history. So this construction was profoundly affected by the archtectual styles of Japan and China. That's why It has mistical and beautiful atmosphere. And I felt like I'm in China. To tell the truth, Shuri Castle was burned in the fire recently. But it resome business. You should visit there once!!!

I have seen Opera house of Sydney in Australia when I was a high school student. The outside was so beautiful and I thought the roof is interesting form. I learned the history of Opera house. It is my wonderful memory.

I have seen a lot of famous places. Among them, I especially like Kyoto. Kyoto has a lot of temples and world Heritage. I have been there twice on a school trip. I think the most famous place of the many places is Kinkakuji. Kinkakuji is a golden temple. It was built by Yoshimitsu Asikaga in the Muromachi period. When I went to there in a sunny day, it looked very shiny. But it had been burned down in 1950. Many people worked together to recreate it and in 1955, it is recreated. Since then, it keep this shine without fading. I want to go to Kinkakuji again.

I have been to Waikiki beach in Hawaii when I was in the second year of high school. I went to there on a trip with my family and relatives in summer vacation. I experienced surfing as well as swimming in the sea. It was my first time to surfing, but I was happy to be praised by teacher who thought me. After playing a lot, I enjoyed the beautiful sunset on a yacht. And I had forgotten to apply sunscreen, so the sunburn on my back was very painful. But that is also a good memory. I think you should go once.

Alot of famous and historical places are present in Egypt, for example, the Pyramids and Abulhaul statue in Giza, they represent the Pharo's civilization. Also,luxor and Aswan have many temples and statues.

I have been to Miyajima and the Atomic Bomb Dome in Japan, which are World Heritage Site. You can visit Itsukushima Shrine, and the torii seen from there is very noticeable. Atomic Bomb Museum is next to the Atomic Bomb Dome. There is a lunch box which was burnt black and clothes which were torn due to it and we can understand the tragedy of the war. Also I went to Italy and saw the Colosseum, Mouth of Truth and Blue Grotto. I put my hands in the Mouth of Truth nervously but I felt be relieved that it didn't bite me! I want to go sightseeing more in various countries.

I have never seen famous places in other countries. But, in Afghanistan, I have seen many landmark places which a lot of tourists visit each year. For example, in Bamian city, the central part of country has many famous historical places, and a lot of visitors visit it each year. Buddha, Band Amir, and Shahre-Ghulghula are very exciting places. Last year, I went to see Buddha statues two times, and I went to Band Amir just once. Shahre Ghulghula was interesting. It was destroyed by Moguls soldiers about 600 years ago, but there are some buildings which remain undamaged until now. It built on a hill and it is made by soil. The structure of this castle is interesting. It has just two doors, and water come to castle from under ground. The fount of water is about a kilometers away from the castle, but there is another castle to keep safe the fountain from enemy. Regards, Tayyebi

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The Taj Mahal

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