Sitting next to the bank of the Yamuna River in the eastern part of the city, it is certainly the biggest attraction in the area. The mausoleum complex is situated in Agra in the western Uttar Pradesh state of northern India. But ask the same question about the Taj Mahal and the majority will only be able to answer, India. Both of which are two staggering examples of design and construction. When asked where the Eiffel Tower is, or where can you find the Statue of Liberty you will have no problem in answering Paris and New York, respectively. It took more than 20,000 workers who came from across India, Europe, the Ottoman Empire and Persia, as well as 1,000 elephants, more than 20 years to build.

Jahan was well known for commissioning extravagant structures during his reign and ordered another to be built in her memory. Sadly she died whilst giving birth to their 14th child in 1631.

Mumtaz was the most cherished of his three wives, with Jahan caring for her deeply. Jahan, a member of the Mughal dynasty, married Mumtaz Mahal in 1612. The Taj Mahal was commissioned in 1632 by Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his late wife, who had recently passed during childbirth. Here we answer the need-to-know questions surrounding this astounding structure as well as revealing the most fascinating facts about the Taj Mahal. Millions descend upon the mausoleum, but how many of them why or when it was built?

But as well-known as it is, many still do not know how it came to be and its purpose. Indeed, it is also hailed as a feat of architecture and construction. Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful buildings in India and the world, the Taj Mahal is India’s most iconic landmark.

Facts about the taj mahal