10 astonishing facts about the Taj Mahal
Symbol of true love and one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal is amongst country’s most visited tourist attractions. Displaying a beautiful mix of Islamic, Persian and Indian architecture, this historic marvel was built in over 22 years, with the help of about 20000 workers. Despite its popularity, there are several facts people still do not know about the Taj Mahal. Listed below are some of the points that’d surely enhance your knowledge about this marble mausoleum:
1. You won't believe but the replicas of the Taj Mahal do exist. Though not as breathtaking as the original Taj, Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad and Taj Mahal Bangladesh are quite a work of art!
2. Mumtaz Mahal was Shah Jahan’s third wife, and was earlier known by the name Arjumand Bano Begum.
3. Mumtaz Mahal lost her life giving birth to Shah Jahan’s 14th child.
4. To build the Taj Mahal, about 1000 elephants were employed that transferred the construction material from one place to another.
5. Taj Mahal is adorned with an assortment of 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones.
6. Depending upon what time of the day it is and whether or not it is a moonlit night, Taj Mahal appears to be of different colours.
7. While roaming in Taj Mahal complex, you can see different verses of Quran written everywhere.
8. Mumtaz Mahal’s actual tomb contains about 99 different names of Allah featured as calligraphic inscriptions.
9. The materials for the construction of Taj Mahal were brought from different regions and countries, namely Punjab, Rajasthan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, China, Tibet and Arabia.
10. Legend has it that Shah Jahan wanted to construct another Taj Mahal using black marble but he could not do so, owing to increasing wars with his sons.