It is decorated with 25 types of precious stones sourced from different parts of the world: Jasper from Punjab, Jade and crystal from China, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan, Sapphire from Sri Lanka, and Carnelian from Arabia.
Some Interesting Facts:
- Constructed from 1631 t0 1653, 22 years to complete with 20,000 workers, and more than 1,000 elephants were used to transport construction materials.
- An Islamic Tomb with a Mughal architecture style (combination of persian, islamic, and indian style).
- One of the Seven Wonders of the World, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Passages from Quran have been used as decorative elements throughout the structure. 99 calligraphic inscriptions of the names of Allah can be found on the sides of the actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal.
- The colors of Taj Mahal changes every time depending on what time of the day. Most people believe that the changing pattern of colors depict the different moods of a woman.
- The tombs that can be seen in the main chamber are false. The actual burial crypt that houses the tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are located below the false tombs.
