<P> The Taj Mahal ( / ˌtɑːdʒ məˈhɑːl , ˌtɑːʒ - / ; meaning `` Crown of the Palace '' ) is an ivory - white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra . It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor , Shah Jahan ( reigned from 1628 to 1658 ) , to house the tomb of his favourite wife , Mumtaz Mahal . The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17 - hectare ( 42 - acre ) complex , which includes a mosque and a guest house , and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall . </P>
<P> The Taj Mahal ( / ˌtɑːdʒ məˈhɑːl , ˌtɑːʒ - / ; meaning `` Crown of the Palace '' ) is an ivory - white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra . It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor , Shah Jahan ( reigned from 1628 to 1658 ) , to house the tomb of his favourite wife , Mumtaz Mahal . The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17 - hectare ( 42 - acre ) complex , which includes a mosque and a guest house , and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall . </P>
is the taj mahal a tomb or a palace
is the taj mahal a tomb or a palace
tomb
tomb