Which Asian country is home to the Taj Mahal?

India is the Asian country home to the Taj Mahal. The famous ivory-white marble mausoleum stands in Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, beside the Yamuna River.

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the monument in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. Construction began that year and the principal complex was completed in the mid-17th century. The Taj Mahal contains the tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, although the cenotaphs visitors see in the main chamber are symbolic; the actual graves lie in a lower chamber.

The monument is associated with Mughal architecture, a tradition that blended Persian, Islamic, Indian and Central Asian influences. Its central dome, four minarets, gardens and reflecting pools have made it one of India’s most recognizable landmarks. Agra is in India—not Pakistan, Bangladesh or Nepal, despite those countries’ geographic proximity and shared South Asian history.