Taj Mahal Secret: It Is a Series of Optical Illusions
The Taj Mahal’s design is a bundle of optical illusions. When visitors enter the grounds, they pass through the Royal Gate. This gate serves as a visual frame for the building and makes the building look huge and close. Once through the gate, visitors see the Taj Mahal in full view at the far end of a huge garden. Walkways divide the garden into four sections.
At the intersection of these walkways is a reflecting pool that gives a ‘flipped’ view of the mausoleum. The Taj Mahal is placed at the end of this garden, not at the center, to allow visitors to take in the whole building at once. As visitors walk the path toward the building, it actually appears to get smaller, as if it is moving away.
