Lost Worlds: Taj Mahal (2007) History Channel

Taj Mahal

Four hundred years ago Emperor Shah Jahan was the most powerful man in the world. The Taj Mahal, in Agra, India was built to honor his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. The Taj Mahal is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and considered to be the finest example of Mughal architecture. 20,000 workers toiled to create an astounding feat of engineering, but what we see today is only a fraction of what was originally erected. Join a team of historical detectives as they search for clues to the original Taj Mahal and investigate the myth of a second Taj Mahal, built not in white but in black marble.

This installment in the LOST WORLDS series takes a look into the legendary structure of the Taj Mahal. Built over 400 years ago by Emperor Shah Jahan as a tribute to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, the huge building took over 20,000 to erect, and was originally planned to be the first of two structures, though the second was never built.

From tragedy and loss came one of the most spectacular monuments ever erected—India’s TAJ MAHAL. Built four hundred years ago as a tribute to Emperor Shah Jahan’s beloved third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth, the Taj Mahal was an undertaking of unprecedented extravagance and beauty. Upwards of 20,000 workers toiled to create the astounding feat of engineering, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In this captivating program, discover how the famous structure that we see today is only a fraction of what was originally built, and watch as a team of historical detectives search for clues to the original Taj Mahal and investigate the myth of a second Taj Mahal, built not in white, but black, marble. Featuring expert interviews and innovative computer recreations, LOST WORLDS journeys four centuries into the past to explore the great Mughal compound in its full glory.