# The Taj Mahal - Source: Kiddle (kids.kiddle.co), CC BY-SA 3.0, Kiddle encyclopedia, adapted from Wikipedia - Reading level: Grade 5 - Subjects: Wonders of the World, Places, History - Topics: main, mahal, building, tomb, marble, complex - Length: 1208 words, about 9 min - Published: 2026-03-01 - Original: - Page: - Open in Sprouts: ![Taj Mahal N-UP-A28-a.jpg](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-the-taj-mahal-78ab7465b5.jpg) The **Taj Mahal** (pronounced TAHJ muh-HAHL) is a beautiful ivory-white marble building in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It sits on the right bank of the Yamuna River. A powerful ruler named Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor, ordered its construction in 1631. He wanted to build a special tomb for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, after she passed away. Shah Jahan's own tomb is also inside the Taj Mahal. The tomb is the main part of a huge complex that covers about 42 acres (17 hectares). This area also includes a mosque, a guest house, and lovely gardens. A wall with special designs surrounds the complex on three sides. Building the main tomb finished in 1648. However, other parts of the project took another five years to complete. The entire Taj Mahal complex was likely finished by 1653. At that time, it cost about 5 million rupees, which would be around 35 billion rupees (or 77.8 million US dollars) today. The Taj Mahal combines different building styles, especially Indo-Islamic and Mughal architecture. It is known for its balanced, symmetrical design. The main tomb is made of white marble with colorful semi-precious stones inlaid into it. Other buildings in the complex use red sandstone. More than 20,000 workers and artists helped build it. They worked under the direction of Ustad Ahmad Lahori, the emperor's main architect. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was called "the jewel of Islamic art in India" and a "masterpiece of the world's heritage." It is a top example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India's rich history. Millions of people visit the Taj Mahal every year. In 2007, it was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. ## Why Was the Taj Mahal Built? Emperor Shah Jahan ordered the Taj Mahal to be built in 1631. He wanted to honor his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died on June 17 of that year. She passed away while giving birth to their 14th child. Building started in 1632. The main tomb was ready by 1648, and the gardens and other buildings were finished five years later. Records from Shah Jahan's court show how sad he was after Mumtaz Mahal died. Historians at the time wrote that Shah Jahan never loved anyone as much as he loved Mumtaz. After she died, he was so sad that he avoided royal duties for a week. He also stopped listening to music and wearing fancy clothes for two years. Shah Jahan loved the beautiful land south of Agra. It was where a mansion belonging to Raja Jai Singh I stood. He chose this spot for Mumtaz's tomb. Jai Singh agreed to give the land to the emperor. ## What Does the Taj Mahal Look Like? ![Taj Mahal-10 (cropped)](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-the-taj-mahal-090b5fc510.jpg) The Taj Mahal complex sits on a platform by the Yamuna River. The Taj Mahal's design mixes ideas from Indo-Islamic and Mughal architecture. It was inspired by buildings like the Gur-e Amir in Samarkand and Humayun's Tomb in Delhi. These older buildings influenced the Taj Mahal's garden layout and overall plan. The complex is built with perfect balance and symmetry. The main tomb uses white marble with colorful semi-precious stones inlaid into it. Other buildings in the complex are made of red sandstone. The entire complex rests on a large platform. This platform is 300 meters (984 feet) long and 28.5 feet (8.7 meters) high. It is built with different patterns of dark and light sandstone. ### Outside the Taj Mahal ![Taj Mahal in India - Kristian Bertel](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-the-taj-mahal-2ded247a62.jpg) The eight-sided main building with large arched doorways and minarets on a square base. The mausoleum, or tomb building, is the most important structure. It is a white marble building on a 6-meter (20-foot) high square base. Each side of this base is 95.5 meters (313 feet) long. The main building has eight sides. It is about 57.3 meters (188 feet) long on each of its four main sides. The building has four identical sides. Each side has a large archway called an *iwan*. A big dome and a decorative top piece called a finial sit above these arches. Each *iwan* is framed by a tall, vaulted archway called a *pishtaq*. On either side of the *pishtaq* are two smaller arched balconies. This archway design is repeated on the corners, making the whole building perfectly symmetrical. ![](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-the-taj-mahal-5ba87f57c6.jpg) The large onion dome with a finial on top. The most striking part of the tomb is its large marble dome. It is 23 meters (75 feet) high. This onion-shaped dome sits on a round base that is 12 meters (39 feet) high. The dome is topped with a 9.6-meter (31-foot) high gilded finial. Four smaller domes, called *chattris*, surround the main dome at its corners. They have the same onion shape as the main dome. These smaller domes are supported by columns. They help bring light into the building. Tall spires called *guldastas* rise from the walls as decorations. Both the main and smaller domes are decorated with a lotus flower design. The finials on top use Persian and Indian designs. The main finial was once gold, but it was replaced with a gilded bronze copy in the 1800s. It has a moon on top, which is a common Islamic symbol. ![Taj Mahal-Agra-Uttar Pradesh-DCS00786](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-the-taj-mahal-f593f3a6b1.jpg) A closer look at a minaret. Four tall minarets stand at each corner of the main platform. Each minaret is over 130 feet (40 meters) tall. They are placed symmetrically around the main building. Each minaret has three parts with balconies. Smaller *chattris* and finials top the towers. Steps inside lead to the top. The minarets were built slightly leaning outwards. This way, if they ever fell, they would fall away from the main tomb. ![Facade of Taj Mahal (4718894898)](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-the-taj-mahal-2bc6b06cf0.jpg) The southern side showing the great pishtaq, jali windows, and calligraphy. The outside of the building is decorated with beautiful art. This art uses paint, stucco, stone inlays, and carvings. Because Islamic art does not show human or animal forms, the decorations are calligraphy (beautiful writing), abstract shapes, or plant designs. The white marble walls have carved pictures of nature and plants. The marble is polished to show off these carvings. The frames and arches are decorated with *pietra dura* inlays. These are made of stylized patterns of vines, flowers, and fruits. ![Detail of plant motifs on Taj Mahal wall](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-the-taj-mahal-91820ef479.jpg) Plant designs on the walls. The domes and arches of the sandstone buildings have detailed patterns. White inlays are used on sandstone buildings, while dark or black inlays are used on the white marble. Different colors create complex geometric patterns. The floors and walkways have tiles or blocks in contrasting colors. They form various tessellation patterns. The building also has many lattice windows, called *jalis*, with hexagonal patterns. The arches of the gateway have Arabic calligraphy with verses from the Qur'an. Much of this writing is in a flowing script called *thuluth*. It is made of jasper or black marble inlaid into white marble panels. The writing on higher panels is slightly larger so it looks correct when viewed from below. The calligraphy on the southern gate roughly means: "O Soul, you are at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you." It is believed that Abdul Haq created this calligraphy in 1609. ## Picture credits - Asitjain, CC BY-SA 3.0 () - This image was produced by me, David Castor ( user:dcastor ). The pictures I submit to the Wikipedia Project are released to the public domain. This gives you the right to use them in any way you like, without any kind of notification. This said, I would still appreciate to be mentioned as the origi, Public domain () - Kristian Bertel, CC BY-SA 4.0 () - Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0 () - Hemant Banswal, CC BY-SA 4.0 () - Habeeb from Hyderabad, India, CC BY 2.0 () - Matthew T Rader, CC BY-SA 4.0 ()