The Chawk-i Jilau Khana (Forecourt)

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The Taj Mahal is split into three sections and the forecourt is the second in importance. The other two sections are; the main mausoleum area, or Taj proper; and the bustling Taj Ganj, which actually lies outside of the smaller gate. The imposing sandstone gateway is the main entrance into the mausoleum and the Qur'anic calligraphic inscriptions around the doorframe are inviting the visitor into the gardens of Paradise. Two royal tombs are situated here including that of Satti-a-Nisa-Khurram, a favorite lady-in-waiting of Mumtaz Mahal, in the southwest corner.