The Wonder of the Taj Mahal

Just because you can recognize the Taj Mahal in photographs doesn't mean you know anything about it. This wondrous landmark is considered one of the most beautiful buildings ever created in history, so don't you want to learn more about its impact on our world? Here are 20 amazing facts about this historical site that you'll be shocked to hear about. 

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1. 22 Years For Completion

The construction of this magnificent mausoleum first began in 1632 and didn't finish until 22 years later in 1653. While the building itself was done earlier in 1648, the rest of its surroundings, including all the gardens, took an additional five years. 

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2. Cost 32 Million Rupees To Build

To put this into perspective, if we were to build the Taj Mahal today from scratch, it would cost nearly 1 billion U.S. dollars to do so. That's no small sum of money! It makes sense when you consider all the people and materials that were required to accomplish such a feat. 

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3. Considered One of the Seven Wonders of the World

In today's society, the Taj Mahal is often considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. There's no need for explanation - one look at its grandeur and you'll see why it's been given such a title. It's simply awe-inspiring to witness. 

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4. It's A UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 1983, centuries after it was first built, the Taj Mahal was finally deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its amazing contribution in world history and culture. As one of the world's most beautiful structures ever built, it makes sense that it must be protected and preserved. 

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5. Unique Mix of Architecture Styles

Considered to be an example of Mughal architecture, which combines Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles, the Taj Mahal is a culmination of these amazing cultures. It's the perfect example of how coming together can create the most wondrous things. 

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6. Required 20,000 Builders

Of course, such a grand feat couldn't be accomplished by a mere few builders. To complete the construction of the Taj Mahal, around 20,000 people were assembled, all working endless hours to finish this larger-than-life project.

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7. Millions Of Annual Visitors

It shouldn't be a surprise that the Taj Mahal garners millions of tourists every single year - 7-8 to be exact. The beauty of this mausoleum has to be witnessed first-hand, bringing people from all over the globe to bask in its sheer glory.

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8. Changes Color

No, your eyes are not deceiving you! If you're in Agra, India to check out this historical landmark, it might be worth visiting during different times of the day. That's because depending on the hour and season, the environment causes the building to appear in a different, unique color. 

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9. A Beautiful Love Story

Lying within this beautiful landmark is the 5th Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, and his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, for whom he built this for. Unfortunately, she passed away the same year construction started for the Taj Mahal, making this a piece of architecture made to honor her memory. 

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10. Various Stones Line The Building

While white marble is the most obvious material used on this building, there are plenty of other surprises incorporated throughout. From carnelian to jade and lapis, many different gemstones were imported from different countries to add to the overall beauty of the Taj Mahal. 

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11. An Impressive Mind

While constructing basic buildings and houses is already pretty amazing, it must take a truly innovative and intelligent mind to create something as jaw-dropping as the Taj Mahal. Thanks to Ustad-Ahmad Lahori, named the chief architect of this project, it was possible.

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12. Care For The Interior

While we have no doubt you'll already be in awe of the exterior of this grand landmark, you've yet to see what's beyond the outside. Because as you enter the Taj Mahal, you'll see how just as much care has been put in the interior of this building. Here, you'll find beautiful calligraphy written all over the walls, many of which are verses and lines from the Quran.

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13. Barren Tomb Rooms

Although every part of the Taj Mahal may appear fancy, the actual tomb room where Shah Jahan and his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, lie is pretty plain. And by plain, we simply mean undecorated - because really, no part of this wondrous landmark is boring. 

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14. The Black Taj

This popular legend has many believing that Shah Jahan initially planned to build a second Taj Mahal that was a complete replica, just built with black marble instead. While there's no way to prove this myth is true, it is fun to wonder what this made-up Black Taj would've looked like. 

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15. Special Garden

The coolest thing about this wonder is that it feels like a building with purpose; there seems to be a reason behind every architectural decision. For instance, the famous garden in the Taj Mahal, known as the charbagh, is said to symbolize the Islamic picture of paradise. 

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16. A Mirror Reflection

As you see more and more images of this landmark, is there one aspect sticking out to you? If anything, it should be that it's perfectly symmetrical. The greatest feat behind the architecture of this building is that no matter where you stand or look at it, it is unbelievably uniform.

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17. The Thumb Myth

After the Taj Mahal was finally finished, there's a myth suggesting Shah Jahan requested all the workers' thumbs (some even say it's the entire hand!) to be removed. Why? So that no one could ever create something as majestic and amazing as this building he commissioned!

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18. Locked Rooms

What's a historical landmark without some mystery? There are supposedly around 20 rooms within the Taj Mahal that are permanently locked. We can only imagine what secrets are hidden behind those doors.

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19. No-Fly & No-Vehicle Zone

To further protect and preserve the Taj Mahal, it's been given what's known as a "No-Fly & No-Vehicle Zone." This just essentially keeps potential pollutants away from the landmark, whether it be from planes, cars, or buses. 

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20. Using Elephants

To create something as massive and grand as the Taj Mahal, the workers had to call in the big helpers. Supposedly, around 1,000 elephants were tasked with transporting materials during construction. 

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