Taj Mahal Trivia Quiz

Answer: Agra

Agra is on the Yamuna River, in the northern part of India. About two to four million people visit the Taj Mahal every year.

Answer: Shah Jahan

Shah Jahan built the Taj as a mausoleum for his wife, Arjumand Banu Begum. She was known as Mumtaz Mahal, which means "beloved ornament of the palace". She was Shah Jahan's third and favorite wife.

Answer: White marble

The Taj is one of the best examples of Mughal architecture. The Taj Mahal has three domes and four pillars. There are also precious gems used to decorate the outside.

Answer: 12

Just the tomb and plinth took about twelve years to finish. The rest of the surrounding buildings took another ten years to complete. The whole building was started in 1632 and finished in 1653.

Answer: True

The New Seven Wonders of the World is an update of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The New Seven Wonders of the World were chosen by poll. The winners were announced in 2007. They chose new Wonders of the World because all but one of the originals have been destroyed.

Answer: Food in plastic bags

Water in transparent bottles, small video cameras, still cameras, turned off cell phones and small ladies' purses are the only things allowed in the Taj Mahal area, for security reasons. Tourists often try to bring in other things, although hotels in the area try to advise beforehand on what is allowed.

Answer: No

No, that is just a common myth. The myth goes that Shah Jahan was going to build a black Taj Mahal across the river from his wife's and make it his own tomb. There was a garden over there though.

Answer: Two nights before, the night of, and two nights after the full moon

This is true for all days, unless it falls on a Friday or the month of Ramzan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, for religious reasons. The night viewing starts at 8:30 p.m. and ends at 12:30 a.m. Fifty people at a time are allowed in, at 30 minute intervals.

Answer: 1983

UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. To be a World Heritage Site a site has to fulfill either the cultural or natural criteria. There are 890 sites on the list as of 2009.

Answer: True

Objects and materials from China, Tibet, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Arabia, among other places, were used, including marble, turquoise, sapphire, jade, and crystal. Over a thousand elephants were used to haul the materials to Agra.