Over 20,000 workers from India and abroad, along with 1,000 elephants that were meant to carry construction materials, helped build the Taj Mahal. Interestingly, the 73-metre-high Taj Mahal is taller than the 72.5-metre-high Qutub Minar. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who was born on January 5, 1592, for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.