When Was The Taj Mahal Built?

With an overall manpower of twenty-two thousand and over a thousand elephants used to transport building materials, the Taj Mahal was constructed, over a period of twenty-three years, between 1631 and 1654.  This monument, located in Agra, India, was commissioned to be built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.  The Taj Mahal was constructed as a mausoleum for the emperor's favourite wife, Arjumand Bano Begum, affectionately referred to as Mumtaz.  Shah Jahan was put under house arrest, by his own son Aurangzeb, soon after completion of the Taj Mahal. Upon his death, Aurangzeb laid his father, beside his wife, in the Taj Mahal.  Today, as one of the most popular international destinations in India, millions of tourists visit this breath taking monument and it is often said to be one of the seven wonders of the modern world. In 1983 the Taj Mahal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.