with the Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian and earlier Mughal architecture . Specific inspiration came from successful Timurid and Mughal buildings including the Gur-e Amir (the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in Samarkand ), [ 9 ] Humayun’s Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah’s