4 World Wonders to Visit Before they Disappear
Between climate change and good old fashioned human interference, we’re at risk of losing out on some of the world’s true wonders in the not-too-distant future. Head to these spots in a sustainable fashion before they vanish.
Taj Mahal, India
Time left... 5 years
With its white marble dome and symmetrical minarets, the Taj Mahal seems like a page torn straight from “One Thousand and One Nights.” Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s monument to the memory of his Persian wife Mumtaz Mahal, this brilliant mausoleum took 22,000 artisans and 1,000 elephants some 21 years to assemble.
The mausoleum itself, like the royal couple whose tombs now lie side by side in a shadowy burial crypt beneath the inner chamber, embodies the marriage of Persian and early Mughal architecture, interweaving marble lattice screens with semiprecious gemstones and lotus motifs.
The Threat:
Owing to heavy foot traffic and poor restoration work, air pollution has been turning the white stone facade into a shade of dirty yellow, and the iconic river that runs through the garden is getting muddier by the day.
Entrance fee $116. Opens 6am-7pm, closed on Friday. Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, (+91) 562-222-6431. tajmahal.gov.in
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