Top 10 Facts about Taj Mahal (India)

Taj Mahal is indeed a beautiful place. When you visit, make sure you take a picture of yourself with the mausoleum as the background, who knows, the love that the emperor had for his wife to dedicate this kind of resources for her remembrance after death might rub off on you. One of the most significant Mughal Empire architectural marvels, it still stands in all its beauty and finesses in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Taj Mahal is a white marble built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. In Arabic, the Taj Mahal is known as the “crown of palaces”. It is said to be the jewel of Islamic art in a nation that is predominantly Hindu. As if to showcase the expanse of the Mughal Empire, it combines architectures from all the corners of the Empire including Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish, and Indian architectural styles.

Here are some interesting facts about the Taj Mahal:

1. The Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World

In 2007, people from all over the world voted the Taj Mahal as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. It was an initiative that was started because all of the listed wonders of the world, except the Cheops Pyramid, had been destroyed.

2. The Taj Mahal’s calligrapher signed his work with a self-deprecating title

Countless beautifully printed lines of Muslim scripture line the walls of the Taj Mahal, each of which was transcribed from the Quran under the supervision of head calligrapher Abd-al Haqq, known professionally as Amanat Khan Shirazi. Abd-al Haqq also received attribution for his calligraphy, an exceptionally rare opportunity for the era. Ever the humble gentleman, Abd-al Haqq inlaid his John Hancock with the humble, “Written by the insignificant being, Amanat Khan Shirazi” at the base of the interior dome.

3. The architecture of the Taj Mahal is a combination of Islamic, Persian, and Indian style

If I have to choose one building in the world with the most impressive architecture and details, it would undoubtedly be the Taj Mahal. In pictures, it looks grand and beautiful, but it’s way beyond that when seeing it in real life.

4. It was built to honor the favorite wife of Shah Jahan

Like many of his predecessors, Shah Jahan married several wives throughout his adult life. Though Shah Jahan spread his heart around, none of these ladies found quite the same favour as his third wife (but first love), Arjumand Banu Begum, more famously known as Mumtaz Mahal. Their union lasted 19 years and led to the birth of 14 children. Complications during the birth of the final child led to Mahal’s untimely passing at the age of 39. Shah Jahan was so stricken by the loss of his longtime companion that he decided to memorialize Mahal with a spectacular tomb. Construction on the Mahal and its surroundings began in 1632, one year after her death, and continued for just over two decades.

5. It has Islamic calligraphy inscriptions all over

The Calligraphic inscriptions in Arabic are texts from the Quran, and they are beautifully inscribed in various places. The most prominent inscription might be the one on the great gate which says “O soul, you are at rest. Return to the Lord in peace with him, and he at peace with you.”

6. Construction demanded a tremendous amount of manpower

Architect Lahauri led a team of 20,000 artisans in the development of the Taj Mahal. Not only men were present at work but animals too. About a thousand elephants handled the transport of heavy building materials during the two-decade construction project.

7. The palace was designed so that everything would fall away from the tomb in the event of a collapse

The placement of the Taj Mahal’s four minarets—the 130-foot-tall spires at the edge of the platform—was not an aesthetic choice but a strategic one. In the 17th century, it was hardly uncommon for massive architectural ventures to fall victim to their weight. To protect the crypt of Mumtaz Mahal, chief architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri tilted the towers slightly so that they would fall away from the rest of the Taj Mahal, preventing the grave from incurring any damages.

8. The gravesite is the only part that is not perfectly symmetrical

The Taj Mahal is an obsessive’s dream, with meticulous symmetry across its long and wide diameters. The sole exception to this otherwise uniform aesthetic scheme lies, again, in the gravesite. Mumtaz Mahal’s casket is located in the exact center of the palace crypt, but it is Shah Jahan’s grave—introduced to the mausoleum following his death in 1666—that rocks its artistic equilibrium with a west-of-center resting place.

9. Cars and buses must stay at least 500 meters away from the Taj Mahal

India has a major problem with air pollution due to heavy traffic, so to protect the Taj Mahal from the harmful effects of pollution, there can be no cars and buses closer than 500 meters away from the entrance. Don’t fret, it’s an easy walk from the drop-off.

10. The Taj Mahal “hides” during times of war

The Taj Mahal’s status as an Indian icon has made it a vulnerable target in times of international hostility. During World War II and the collected wars waged between India and Pakistan throughout the 20th century, the Indian government and people have gone to great lengths to protect their valued landmark from attack. To this end, architects added extensive scaffolding that concealed the structure from airborne bombers. When the ruse was working, instead of seeing one of the wonders of the world, pilots would see what looked like a pile of bamboo.

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