Bibi Ka Maqbara - Aurangabad, Maharastra, India

Bibi Ka Maqbara is a maqbara located in Aurangabad, Maharastra, India. It was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the late 17th century in the memory of his first wife, Dilras Banu Begum (also known as Rabia Durrani).It bears a striking resemblance to the famous Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of her mother-in-law, Mumtaz Mahal. Aurangzeb was not much interested in architecture, though he had built the small, but elegant, Pearl Mosque at Delhi. The Bibi Ka Maqbara was the largest structure that he had to his credit.The comparison to the Taj Mahal has resulted in a general ignorance of the monument. The mausoleum is also called the Dakkhani Taj (Taj of the Deccan). An inscription found on the main entrance door mentions that this mausoleum was designed and erected by Ata-ullah, an architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer respectively.Ata-ullah was the son of Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the principal designer of the Taj Mahal.