For those unable to make it all the way to India to see the Taj Mahal, another option will soon be available in slightly closer Dubai. Developers are planning a massive replica to be built in the emirate.
Dubbed Taj Arabia, the billion-dollar replica will be four times larger than the original, and is being touted as a wedding destination.
“Marriage is a celebration. It needs to be announced and glorified. Currently Dubai is not regarded as a wedding destination," Arun Mehra, chairman of the Link Global Group, sub-developers of the project, told gulfnews.com. "People go to Bali and other exotic places to marry. Now they will come to Taj Arabia."
The complex will also contain a shopping center, a 300-room five-star hotel, serviced apartments and bridal wear stores, reports Gulf Daily News.
Taj Arabia will be part of a larger complex called Falcon City of Wonders that will also be home to replicas of the Pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
According to The Independent, several Bollywood producers have already expressed interest in using Taj Arabia as a shooting location. Perhaps that's necessary considering the real Taj Mahal is in danger of collapsing.
Many travelers won't find this development unusual, considering Dubai's penchant for quirky grandeur. A magazine spin-off Vogue Cafe is planned for the city's largest mall, which is already home to a giant aquarium. There's also that indoor ski resort and the Queen Elizabeth II cruse liner that's been turned into a hotel.
And, lest we not forget, this is the city that gave us the notorious Crown Crust pizza.