Things to Do in Agra, India

1. Taj Mahal

Agra

Towering 73-meter brick minaret showcases 800 years of Indo-Islamic architecture. Walk the shaded lawns, study ornate inscriptions and frame the fluted tower for striking photos.

Quick facts: Morning light and evening glow make the white marble shift colors, with a pinkish tint at dawn and a warm honey tone at sunset. Local records say about 20,000 artisans and laborers worked for roughly 22 years, bringing in marble and stones from distant regions like Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

Highlights: Look closely at the walls and you'll find over 28 types of semi-precious stones, lapis lazuli giving vivid blues and carnelian adding deep reds, inlaid so finely the motifs seem painted. Four freestanding minarets are intentionally set to lean slightly outward, a clever safety measure so they would fall away from the central tomb instead of onto it during an earthquake.