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Who REALLY Built The Taj Mahal?

© Maria Christensen

It is one of the most beautiful buildings on the face of the earth. Cool white marble begs to be stroked and at various times of day and night, shades of gold or pink emanate from its domed and carved surface. It glows in the moonlight, and on a foggy morning, across the banks of the Yamuna River on which it sits, it appears to float above the earth. Luminescent, ethereal, breathtaking; all these words have been used to describe the most lavish tomb in history.

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India is the final resting place of Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666) and his beloved second wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It stands as a monument to an extravagant love. Shah Jahan's first wife gave him no children and the 14 children Mumtaz Mahal gave birth to may have gone far in securing the love of her husband. All cynicism aside, it is a love story to rival that of some of the greatest loves in history: Anthony and Cleopatra, Abelard and Heloise, Romeo and Juliet. While the last couple may be fictional, the sentiment has survived for centuries to inspire travelers from all over the world. Many a sigh has been heard on the approach to the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan and his wife traveled everywhere together during their 18 years of marriage and when she died in 1630, he searched for a suitable outlet for his grief. A grand mausoleum would be built to house the body of his beloved.

Many numbers have been given for the length of time it took to build the Crown Palace, which is the translation of Taj Mahal, but the most commonly used time frame is 22 years. 20,000 workers labored to create beauty from marble and it took 1,000 elephants to carry the materials from nearby areas to the building site. The completed effort is a structural marvel and an exquisite example of the Islamic architecture which flourished during the time of the Mogul Empire, founded in the 16th century by a descendant of both Tamerlane and Genghis Khan. The tomb stands on a marble base 22 feet (7 m) high and 313 feet (95 m) square, along with a minaret on each corner. The domed top is surrounded by four smaller domes and stands 200 feet (61 m) tall. The outside walls are covered with etchings of sayings from the Koran (the Muslim holy book), and the inside walls are bedecked with flowers, intricate designs and gemstones. Silver doors guarded entrances at one time, but were carried away by looters after the Mogul Empire collapsed in the 18th century. The architect was a Persian by the name of Istad Usa. The monument was built under his direction and the cost of construction reached the considerable sum of 32 million rupees. Or did it?

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