Essay Introduction: In the following essay I will compare and contrast the architectural pieces of Indians. The first is the Taj Mahal, a building constructed of white marble whose construction lasted seventeen years in honor of Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal (Z. Haq). This piece of architectural beauty belonged to the Mughals, the Muslim emperors of India (Z. Haq). The second is the Great Stupa at Sanchi, a sacred dome-shaped structure that covers the body of the Buddha in honor of him and his contributions to Buddhism (Fischer, Julia). Furthermore, this structure was made of ruins, rocks, mud and covered with bricks (Fischer, Julia). Both pieces of architecture are significant to Indians, yet they contrast in some ways. Description: The Taj Mahal, which translates to "Crown Palace", is a very significant monument and considered one of the best in the world. It is actually a mausoleum where the bodies of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal were found. It was built from 1631 to 1648 AD in Agra, India (History of Taj Mahal). Architects from all over the world were ordered to come to India and build this Taj Mahal on the orders of the Mughal, Shah Jahan (History of the Taj Mahal). He built it to honor his wife after her death while she was giving birth to their son (History of Taj Mahal). Her last words to Shah Jahan were to build a tomb in his memory that the world had never seen before, and so he did as she asked (History of the Taj Mahal). Later, Shah Jahan's tomb was added to the Taj Mahal. The other work of art that I will compare with the Taj Mahal is the Great Stupa at Sanchi. The stupa is a dome-shaped building covering the body of the Buddha, which was highly prized by many Buddhists. In......middle of paper......2014. .“Indian Yellow." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 February 2014. Web. 28 February 2014. .“Lapis Lazuli." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, February 27, 2014. Web. February 28, 2014. “Minium (mineral).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 February 2014. Web. 28 February 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minium_(mineral)>.Pillai, Maya. "Architecture of the Taj Mahal." IBuzzle. Network. 28 February 2014. .Pradesh, Madhya. “World Heritage Sites – Sanchi.” Archaeological survey of India. Network. February 28, 2014. "Sanchi." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 February 2014. Web. 28 February. 2014. .