7 Fun Facts about the Taj Mahal

1. The Taj Mahal was a Tomb, that became a Symbol of Love

Indeed, the Taj Mahal, contrary to many’s belief and to what it might look like from the pictures, is not a royal palace nor anything close!

The monument, entirely built in Makrana white marble transporter from Rajashtan, was constructed between 1632 and 1648 by order of the Mughal Emperor Shah Janan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631 while giving birth to their 14th child.

The whole Taj Mahal was thus conceived as a gigantic mausoleum in memory of the Emperor’s lost wife, and because of that is today widely renowned as an immortal symbol of love.

In 1983, the Taj Mahal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historical and architectural significance and is even today still regarded as the jewel of Muslim art in India.

 2. The Whole Mausoleum is Built in Perfect Symmetry,

with ONE exception!

Following the strict Mughal architectural principles of that time, the whole Taj Mahal mausoleum was conceived and erected in perfect symmetry.

That included the squared base of the mausoleum with four identical minarets at each corner, the Persian-style garden (“charges“) divided into four identical squares, the plants planted at the same distance from one another, and the buildings on the sides of the mausoleum (a mosque on the left, and a guesthouse on the right).

In all of this symmetry, the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal (the emperor’s wife) was built to be at the right center of all, with her cenotaph perfectly centered under the main dome.

Everything was perfect, everything in symmetry…until the emperor died!

When Shah Janan died in fact, his family decided to add his tomb close to the one of his beloved wife (to the left side), effectively breaking the perfect symmetry that reigned in the building.

As of today, Shah Janan’s cenotaph is the only non-symmetrical element you can notice in the entire complex.

3. Over 20.000 Artisans contributed to finish the Taj Mahal, taking a total of 22 Years!

As already said before, the construction of the Taj Mahal lasted 22 years (1632 – 1654).

What many don’t know though, is that to carry out this majestic project, the Mughal emperor contracted over 20.000 artisans which, together with the cost of materials, brought the Taj Mahal’s estimated total cost to about 32 million rupees at that time (equivalent to over 1$ billion today!!).

The artisans that contributed with their craftmanship to the many details of the Taj Mahal were recruited from all over India, Persia, Turkey, and even Europe; and coordinated by the chief architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, a Persian architect in the Mughal court.

Last but not least, incredible as it might sound, to carry the construction materials needed by them from various parts of Central Asia and India, the emperor employed well over 1000 elephants!

4. The Minarets are Tilting Slightly Outwards to protect the Main Dome in case of Earthquakes

While not being its main function (it is a commemorative mausoleum!), the Taj Mahal is today also a functioning mosque, where prayers are held every Friday (the holiest day of the week in Islamic tradition).

Said that, because the main function of the building is a mausoleum, the four minarets (the white tall towers on the four corners of the building) have been never used by muezzins to recite the Adhan (the loud “call to pray” that you usually hear 5 times a day in Islamic countries).

Instead, the minarets have been constructed more for an aesthetic purpose, to enrich the building image and to give it a tridimensional impact.

If you ever visit the Taj Mahal in first person, you will notice that the four minarets are slightly tilting outward (not so much like the Pisa’s tower, but in a similar way).

This was not a mistake, but the architect’s choice to protect the main dome in case of sudden Earthquakes.

5. The Taj Mahal Attracts around 8 Million tourists every year (around 22.000 daily!)

The Taj Mahal is hands down the most visited landmark in India and scores in the top 10 in the most visited sites on Earth (just half a million shy of the Eiffel Tower!).

Most tourists coming to visit the monument are domestic (around 7 million/year), while about 10-15% are foreigners (1 million).

The entrance ticket to the monument costs 50 INR for Indian citizens (0,50Euro) and 1100 for foreign tourists (12,50Euro) – here you can find more information on the official website.

Said that, in our opinion the best option to visit the Taj Mahal is not to take it as a single visit, but to join one of the many Taj Mahal Tour Packages to pair it with the Golden Triangle and other nearby attractions (such a visit of Old/New Dehli, the Chandni Chowk market, the Amber Fort etc).

In total, in 2024, the Taj Mahal alone brought to India revenues of around 97 crores (equivalent to almost 1 billion dollars!).

Because of the big influx of tourists (average of 21k daily), it is recommended to visit the Taj Mahal early in the morning or late in the evening to get the best shots without too many people in the picture (it can get very crowded during the day!!). 

6. The Taj Mahal changes Color through-out the Day!

If you do a fast search on Google Images digiting Taj Mahal, you will easily notice that in many photos the building changes its color: in one iit iswhite, in one its pink, in one yellow, even blue!!

That is not the result of too much Photoshop, nor the result of filters: the Taj Mahal truly changes color throughout the day!

Due to its main building material (white marble!) and its intricate wall decorations, the Taj Mahal tends to appear pinkish in the morning, white in the afternoon, golden during sunset, and even slightly blue on starry nights.

Last but not least, the Taj Mahal looks breathtaking under a full moon with a clear sky (and that’s why special night viewing tickets are available on full moon nights).

If you love colours, and you want to discover more of India, be sure to also check out our new article Colours of India.

7. A man named Natwarlal sold the Taj Mahal several times over!

Our last curiosity is something funny, and that’s the story of Natwarlal, the most notorious conman in India who was allegedly able to sell the Taj Mahal many times over.

Born in 1912, Natwarlal became famous for his audacious scams, which today appear so incredible to the point of being straight-out silly.

He is believed to have sold for big money the Taj Mahal several times, but also the Red Fort of AAgra the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the Presidential Residence in New Dehli), nd even the Indian Parliament House!!

His strategy was posing as a government official, forging fake signatures and documents, and cheating wealthy businessmen into investing in fake deals (in the past century probably it was easier without the internet and modern communication technology 😉 ).

He was wanted in over 100 cases across 8 states of India, he was arrested numerous times, he was able to escape prison eight times, and ultimately was able to live free until he died at the age of 97. In a few words, one of a kind!

Even today, in India the saying “Pulling a Natwarlal” is to describe somebody pulling off a clever scam 😀

Conclusions 🙂

And here we come at the end of this article 🙂

In this post, we’ve uncovered an interesting part of the history of the Taj Mahal, learned about its symmetry and construction, and discovered many fun facts about this majestic landmark.

Which one was your favorite?

Do you have other curiosities about the Taj Mahal you would like to share with us?

Let us know in the comments below! 😀

Hereafter I will leave you a few articles that you might be also interested in checking out:

•  7 World-Class Museums You Never Heard Of
• Destinations of the World: Discover More Cool Destinations!
• Travel Italy: All you Need to Discover the Bel Paese!

Thank you for reading, and see you in the next article!