1. The Taj Mahal was built by a whopping 22,000 laborers painters stone cutters artists

2. Legend has it that Emperor Shah Jahan intended to build another Taj Mahal in black marble across the river but a war with his sons interrupted these plans

3. It intricate work of art and architectural genius took 17 years to complete

5. The most recognizable feature is the white dome at the peak of the mausoleum Often called the 'onion dome' it rises to about 35 meters (115 feet) and is surrounded by four other domes

6. Taj Mahal is a famous Indian landmark and tourist magnet, attracting more than a million tourists every year

7. As always, rumor mills are on the overdrive about this Taj Mahal It is rumored that the Emperor ordered that all the workers who worked on the mausoleum get their hands chopped of so that no one could make anything like it ever again but not yet confirmed by anyone

8.Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian and earlier Mughal architecture