Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal site features
Last updated on October 19, 2026The mausoleum
The Taj Mahal occupies a nearly 17-hectare walled rectangle beside the Yamuna. The visitor route approaches from the south, crosses a forecourt and enters through a red-sandstone gate. Beyond it, a long garden axis leads north to a marble platform about 95 metres square and 6.7 metres high, with the white mausoleum at its centre and four minarets at its corners.
The exterior
The tomb is a square of roughly 55 metres per long side with its corners cut back, making an eight-sided outline. Each main face centres on a tall pointed arch, with smaller arches stacked to either side. A large bulbous dome rises over the middle, surrounded by four smaller domed pavilions; four slender minarets stand apart at the platform edge.
Looking west from the platform, the red-sandstone mosque sits under three white domes. An almost matching guest house stands to the east, preserving the balance. Black calligraphic borders trace the mausoleum's entrances, while carved flowers and coloured-stone inlay become visible only at close range.
The interior
The central hall is octagonal, with openings and smaller chambers set around it. In the middle, a pierced marble screen encloses the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal and the larger, later cenotaph of Shah Jahan. Their bodies lie in a lower chamber that visitors do not enter. Light filters through carved stone and openings above, keeping the upper chamber dimmer than the marble exterior.
The garden
Raised paths and water channels divide the garden into four quarters and then sixteen smaller plots. The main channel runs between cypress-lined walks and a central reflecting pool, holding the mausoleum in a long, narrow reflection. Because the tomb stands at the river end rather than the garden centre, the approach remains open and the white structure appears to close the entire composition.
Key highlights
The Great Gate
1632–1653. The red-sandstone entrance fills the garden axis with a tall pointed portal edged in white marble and black calligraphy. Passing through its dark central opening frames the bright mausoleum at the far end of the garden.
The marble mausoleum
. The square tomb has chamfered corners, so its footprint reads as an unequal octagon. It rises from a marble platform about 95 metres square and 6.7 metres high, with a large arched recess centred on each face.
The dome and chhatris
. The bulbous outer dome rises from a high drum and ends in a lotus form and finial. Four smaller domed pavilions stand around it, opening gaps through which the main dome remains visible.
The four minarets
. A minaret more than 40 metres high stands at each corner of the platform. Each shaft is divided into three sections by projecting balconies and ends in an open domed pavilion.
The cenotaph chamber
. In the octagonal upper hall, a pierced marble screen surrounds Mumtaz Mahal's cenotaph and the later one of Shah Jahan. The actual graves are in the lower chamber, which is not part of the visitor route.
Calligraphy and stone inlay
1630s–1640s. Black stone letters frame the great arches, while flowers and geometric patterns are assembled from coloured stones set into marble. The higher inscription bands use larger characters so they appear consistent from the ground.
The mosque and guest house
. The red-sandstone mosque stands west of the tomb, facing Mecca; a matching guest house balances it on the east. Their white domes and marble trim echo the mausoleum without competing with it.
The garden and water axis
. Paths and water channels divide the rectangular garden into four quarters and then sixteen smaller plots. A raised central pool reflects the mausoleum along the main approach, though much of today's planting reflects later intervention.