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🏛️ The Taj Mahal
A palace of white marble built as a gift of love — it took more than 20 years and 20,000 workers to build.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
📍 Where is it?
📍 Agra, India — see it on the big map →
In the city of Agra, in India, stands one of the most beautiful buildings in the world: the Taj Mahal. It was built by the emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died young. He wanted to make her a tomb more beautiful than anything ever built.
Work began in 1632 and took more than 20 years. About 20,000 workers — stone carvers, painters, builders and jewel-cutters — helped build it. The whole building is covered in shining white marble, decorated with patterns of flowers made from precious coloured stones.
The Taj Mahal changes colour with the light. In the morning it looks pink, at midday it is bright white, and at sunset it turns golden. It is reflected in a long pool of water in front of it, so it looks like there are two Taj Mahals. Millions of people visit every year to see the most famous love story in stone.
🤩 Wow fact!
The Taj Mahal changes colour during the day — pink in the morning, white at noon, and golden at sunset.
🧠 Quiz time!
Who built the Taj Mahal, and for whom?