Bangladesh to open own Taj Mahal
A life-size replica of the Taj Mahal, often described as the world's most beautiful building, is due to open for visitors in Bangladesh.
The replica has been built by a Bangladeshi filmmaker.
Ahsanullah Moni said he wanted his countrymen to experience the beauty of the Indian monument even if they were too poor to travel to see the original.
The 17th Century Taj was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal.
The emperor is buried next to his queen in the monument in the northern Indian city of Agra, which is visited by millions every year.
The $58m (£39m) replica has been built in Sonargaon, a small town in the Bangladeshi countryside.
Mr Moni, who is a successful director of Bangladeshi films, says he hopes his replica, which has been built an hour's drive from the capital Dhaka, will also attract foreign visitors.
It took 20 years and 20,000 workers to build the original Taj.
Thanks to modern technology, construction of Mr Moni's Taj has taken five years and fewer people.
But it has been neither easy nor cheap.
Mr Moni says he has imported marble and granite from Italy and diamonds from Belgium.
"" Architects were sent to India to copy the dimensions of the original. ""
Work on the surrounding grounds and ponds has still not been completed.
Only then will Bangladesh is be able to judge whether Mr Moni has truly copied the beauty and purity of the original Taj Mahal.
They just wasted 58 Million dollars.
There can be and there is only one Taj Mahal. It's not Disneyland that can be replicated everywhere...
When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity. - Albert Einstein
Bangladesh... the next china.. ;-)