EPISODE · Jun 20, 2026 · 7 MIN
Is this the most magnificent building in the world? - Stephanie Honchell Smith
from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed
Dig into the construction of the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum that Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had built for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.--It’s 1631. Mumtaz Mahal, beloved wife of Emperor Shah Jahan, is giving birth to their 14th child. A healthy girl is born, but Mumtaz dies soon after. Sobbing uncontrollably, the emperor decides to build a tomb worthy of his queen: a replica of paradise to embody their love and project the power of the Mughal Empire for all time. Stephanie Honchell Smith details the construction of the Taj Mahal.Lesson by Stephanie Honchell Smith, directed by Jeff Le Bars, JetPropulsion.spaceThis video made possible in collaboration with Marriott HotelsLearn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: https://bit.ly/TEDEdPartnersSupport Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-taj-mahal-a-monument-to-eternal-love-stephanie-honchell-smithDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-taj-mahal-a-monument-to-eternal-love-stephanie-honchell-smith#digdeeperAnimator's website: http://jetpropulsion.spaceMusic: http://www.wonderboyaudio.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Kack-Kyun Kim, Michael Braun-Boghos, zjweele13, Anna-Pitschna Kunz, Edla Paniguel, Thomas Mungavan, Jaron Blackburn, Venkat Venkatakrishnan, ReuniteKorea, Aaron Henson, Rohan Gupta, Begum Tutuncu, Brian Richards, Jørgen Østerpart, Tyron Jung, Carsten Tobehn, Katie Dean, Ezgi Yersu, Gerald Onyango, alessandra tasso, Doreen Reynolds-Consolati, Manognya Chakrapani, Ayala Ron, Eunsun Kim, Phyllis Dubrow, Ophelia Gibson Best, Paul Schneider, Joichiro Yamada, Henrique Cassús, Karthik Cherala, Clarence E. Harper Jr., Vignan Velivela, Ana Maria, Exal Enrique Cisneros Tuch, Tejas Dc, Khalifa Alhulail, Martin Stephen, Jose Henrique Leopoldo e Silva, Mandeep Singh, Abhijit Kiran Valluri, Morgan Williams, Devin Harris, Pavel Zalevskiy, Karen Goepen-Wee, Filip Dabrowski, Barbara Smalley, Megan Douglas, Tim Leistikow, Ka-Hei Law and Hiroshi Uchiyama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What this episode covers
Dig into the construction of the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum that Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had built for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.--It’s 1631. Mumtaz Mahal, beloved wife of Emperor Shah Jahan, is giving birth to their 14th child. A healthy girl is born, but Mumtaz dies soon after. Sobbing uncontrollably, the emperor decides to build a tomb worthy of his queen: a replica of paradise to embody their love and project the power of the Mughal Empire for all time. Stephanie Honchell Smith details the construction of the Taj Mahal.Lesson by Stephanie Honchell Smith, directed by Jeff Le Bars, JetPropulsion.spaceThis video made possible in collaboration with Marriott HotelsLearn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: https://bit.ly/TEDEdPartnersSupport Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-taj-mahal-a-monument-to-eternal-love-stephanie-honchell-smithDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-taj-mahal-a-monument-to-eternal-love-stephanie-honchell-smith#digdeeperAnimator's website: http://jetpropulsion.spaceMusic: http://www.wonderboyaudio.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Kack-Kyun Kim, Michael Braun-Boghos, zjweele13, Anna-Pitschna Kunz, Edla Paniguel, Thomas Mungavan, Jaron Blackburn, Venkat Venkatakrishnan, ReuniteKorea, Aaron Henson, Rohan Gupta, Begum Tutuncu, Brian Richards, Jørgen Østerpart, Tyron Jung, Carsten Tobehn, Katie Dean, Ezgi Yersu, Gerald Onyango, alessandra tasso, Doreen Reynolds-Consolati, Manognya Chakrapani, Ayala Ron, Eunsun Kim, Phyllis Dubrow, Ophelia Gibson Best, Paul Schneider, Joichiro Yamada, Henrique Cassús, Karthik Cherala, Clarence E. Harper Jr., Vignan Velivela, Ana Maria, Exal Enrique Cisneros Tuch, Tejas Dc, Khalifa Alhulail, Martin Stephen, Jose Henrique Leopoldo e Silva, Mandeep Singh, Abhijit Kiran Valluri, Morgan Williams, Devin Harris, Pavel Zalevskiy, Karen Goepen-Wee, Filip Dabrowski, Barbara Smalley, Megan Douglas, Tim Leistikow, Ka-Hei Law and Hiroshi Uchiyama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Is this the most magnificent building in the world? - Stephanie Honchell Smith
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