The Taj Mahal has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.
UNESCO inscribed the monument during the World Heritage Committee’s seventh session. It was listed under cultural criterion (i), recognizing it as an exceptional artistic and architectural achievement. The designation covers the principal mausoleum and the wider complex in Agra, including its gardens, mosque, guest house and gateway.
The inscription came more than three centuries after construction began under Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He commissioned the complex after the death of Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, and the project developed into one of the most celebrated monuments of Mughal India. Its white marble, symmetry, calligraphy and pietra dura inlay helped make it an international symbol of architectural excellence.
A common mix-up is the year 2007, when the Taj Mahal was selected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. That popular-vote campaign was separate from UNESCO’s official World Heritage designation, which dates to 1983.