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Maharajah Shah Jahan spotted Mumtaz Mahal at the marketplace in his royal complex. It was love at first sight and he quickly made her his third wife. Mumtaz traveled with Shah Jahan throughout India as his chief companion and beloved advisor. After bearing him 14 children, Mumtaz died, leaving the Maharajah devastated. He then decided to build her an everlasting memorial and resting place, looking to the Koran for inspiration.
Taking inspiration from its detailed description of Heaven, Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal.
To ensure that no other living structure would ever rival the beauty of the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan made an agreement with the building’s artists. In exchange for a hefty payment, they would not create anymore art or design in their lifetime.
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Teddy Roosevelt’s diary entry from the day his wife died. He never spoke of her death again.
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An Innocence Lost: Cigarette Cards c. 1920s via NYPL
Cary Grant in “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House”, 1948.
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