Ninety-nine names of Allah are inscribed on the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal inside the Taj Mahal.
The inscription refers to the traditional “Ninety-Nine Names of God” in Islamic theology, a set of divine names and attributes associated with Allah. At the Taj Mahal, calligraphy is an important part of the decoration, appearing throughout the complex in Qur’anic passages and carefully proportioned inscriptions.
The cenotaph in the upper chamber is a symbolic monument rather than the actual burial. Mumtaz Mahal’s real grave lies below in the lower tomb chamber. Her cenotaph is enclosed by an intricately carved marble screen decorated with inlaid semiprecious stones, while the surrounding surfaces feature floral designs and calligraphy.
Readers sometimes confuse the number of names with the number of Qur’anic verses or with decorative inscriptions elsewhere in the complex. The figure 99 specifically identifies the traditional divine names inscribed on the side of Mumtaz Mahal’s original cenotaph.