The only finalist from India, the architectural wonder Taj Mahal stands on the bank of the river Yamuna. It was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it. The material was brought in from all over India and Central Asia. The symbol of love was designed by the Iranian architect Ustad Isa. The Taj rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a huge white marble terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four tapering minarets. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen.