Everyone knows the Taj Mahal is spectacular. The tower, the iconic form and the plateau leading up to the attraction are amongst the most recognisable in the world.

What you may not know is that the white marble icon was commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 to hold the tomb of his favourite wife – though clearly he didn’t love her quite enough to be a one-woman man – in 1632.

The Taj Mahal is estimated to have cost 32 million rupees, which in modern day value is about 52.8 billion Indian rupees, or an absolute shitload of British pounds – approx £516,612,624 to be precise.