One of the 7 wonders of the modern world, from its construction to the present day. And let’s all calm down with this damn pollution, or we’ll lose it for good.
In this article we want to tell you about the Taj Mahal, one of the 7 wonders of the modern world and tangible proof that love—and, in some people’s case, their bank account too—knows no limits.
If you think your declarations of love have been grand, wait until you read this story: you’ll discover just how much an “I love you” can cost. Spoiler: a lot. Like, really a lot!
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The billion-dollar mausoleum
Ah, love!
The story of the Taj Mahal begins right here.
It all starts with the ruler of the Mughal Empire, Shah Jahan, and his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, whose name means “the light of the palace.” When she left this world in 1631, her heartbroken husband decided to build a monument in her honor.
But not just any monument, no! It had to be a masterpiece, something that would make everyone say, “Wow, this guy was truly crazy in love!”
And so, in 1632, construction of the Taj Mahal began—and it was no small feat.
It took 22 years, 20,000 people, and a huge number of elephants and buffaloes to transport the materials. And speaking of materials, we’re not talking about cheap stuff: white marble from Makrana, jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China, and a myriad of precious stones from every corner of Asia.
The total cost? Enough to make even the world’s best accountant lose sleep.
Someone actually took the time to calculate how much the construction of the Taj Mahal would have cost in modern currency: a tidy sum of $951,878,873.46!
And who designed this masterpiece?
Well, there’s a bit of debate about that. Some say it was Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, while others claim it was the Persian Ustad Isa. But honestly, whoever it was, we absolutely love it all the same.
The Taj Mahal was saved by a hair’s breadth: let’s try not to make any more mistakes
After the Taj Mahal was built, things didn’t go exactly as planned for our friend Shah Jahan, who was deposed and imprisoned by his son. And as if that weren’t enough, the capital of the Mughal Empire was moved from Agra to Delhi.
Poor Taj Mahal, it was left to fend for itself, forgotten by everyone, and it began to lose its Arabian Nights splendor.
It really came close to disaster: just think, in the 19th century there was even a plan to demolish it and sell off its precious marble.
This brilliant idea came from (of course) the European colonizers, who never missed a chance to plunder every corner of the world. But fortunately, it was never carried out. In fact, at the end of the 19th century the Taj Mahal found an unexpected savior: the Englishman Lord George Nathaniel Curzon.
One of those “they did some good things too” situations—but we’re still not buying what those imperialists were selling.
In any case, Lord Curzon launched a restoration of the entire structure that lasted until 1908, and since then the Taj Mahal has been cared for and protected. During World War II, scaffolding was even erected around it to shield it from possible air raids.
In recent years, our hero has had to face a new enemy: pollution. Local authorities are doing their best to protect this precious heritage site, and we’re cheering for it all the way: go Taj Mahal!
In short, this wonder of the modern world has been through highs and lows, but it still stands strong and remains one of the most beautiful and beloved monuments in the world. And all thanks to one man’s passion for his beloved.
Ah, love!
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The external structure of the Taj Mahal
Let’s move beyond the romantic stories and focus on the structure of the Taj Mahal.
The mausoleum stands 73 meters tall. Yes, you read that right—73 meters! Almost as tall as a 25-story building, but not made of glass and steel like those dreadful modern buildings.
73 meters of white marble and precious stones shining under the sun, the kind of sight that makes you say, “Wow, this is incredible!”
All of this stands on a square base measuring 95.16 meters on each side. Actually, the corners are chamfered, so if you look closely, it really has an octagonal base.
Did you already know that detail? Maybe. Was it essential to tell you? Probably not, but we wanted to anyway.
At the four corners of the mausoleum there are four minarets, 43.02 meters high, built with a very special feature: they lean slightly outward so that, if they were ever to collapse in an earthquake, they would fall away from the central mausoleum.
Brilliant, right?
Each entrance arch of the mausoleum is framed by two superimposed openings on each side, called pishtaqs. These niches are found throughout the complex and add a touch of elegance and symmetry to the entire structure.
Finally, the Taj Mahal has five domes. The largest, the central one, rises to 73 meters—yes, all right, we know, we already told you that, but we felt like repeating it. The other four are arranged around the central dome and each has a diameter of 8 meters.
“And the interior?” you may ask.
Well, to see it, we invite you to set off with us and visit many other incredible destinations in India, from Varanasi to Jaipur, the “Pink City,” including an amazing safari in Ranthambore National Park to see tigers and many other things you’re going to love.
Discover all the details of the 10-day India itinerary. We’re already getting ready now: only you are missing!
