The Taj Mahal Facts for Kids

Fast & Fun Facts for Kids

•   The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra.
•   The name Taj Mahal means, “crown of palaces.”
•   Taj Mahal was built in the 15th Century.
•   The Taj Mahal was commissioned by the Emperor of the Mughal people. A man named Shah Jahan.
•   He dedicated the building to the memory of his beautiful queen. Her name was Mumtaz Mahal.
•   Scientists fear that the Taj Mahal may be slowly sinking into the Yamuna River.



•   The Taj Mahal's construction started in the year 1631.
•   It took 22 years to build this historical monument.
•   The Emperor died 23 years after the elaborate tomb for his wife was competed. The two rest side-by-side in separate tombs within the structure.
•   The style of architecture is a combination of Indian, Islamic and Persian.
•   Because of the shape, the style of the pillars are called Onion Domes.
•   It cost around 32 Million Indian Rupees to construct the masterpiece.
• Today that would be about 52.8 billion rupees or 827 million US Dollars
•   A workforce of around 20,000 people, including stone carvers, masons, and artists, worked day and night for just over 22 years.
•   The Architect was named Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.
•   Over 1000 Elephants were used for transportation and to haul the construction materials.
•   There are at least thirty different types of gemstones decorating the Taj Mahal to make it even more beautiful.
•   The Taj Mahal is symmetrical in almost every way. Only the two tombs are different sizes.
•   The male tomb is larger than the female tomb.
•   Many types of marble was used in the construction. It was brought over from many different countries including Afghanistan, Sir Lanka, Saudi Arabia, and China.
•   The marble walls of the Taj Mahal change colors throughout the day and night.
•   In the morning it appears pink. It looks brightly white in the day. In the moonlight it appears golden.
•   Each year 3-4 million people, including many kids just like you, travel from all over the world to see the Taj Mahal.

I hope that you enjoyed these fun facts about the Taj Mahal.