The Taj Mahal is turning green

The Taj Mahal is slowly turning green
The Taj Mahal is slowly turning green


The Taj Mahal, which was recently named as one of the top ten landmarks around the world but the white marble mausoleum is facing a threat to its famous pearly white exterior.

The white marble is slowly but surely being stained green by insect excrement and experts at the Archaeological Survey of India say swarms of mosquito-like flies are to blame.

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It's thought that the bugs are breeding at the nearby Yamuna River, which has river stagnated from pollution and drought, killing off the fish that used to keep the flies in check.

But the issue is that daily cleanings are threatening the fragile facade of the iconic structure.


Taj Mahal tour guides are worried that the growing green patches will negatively affect tourism, but no long-term solution has been implemented yet.

According to the Guardian Bhuvan Vikram of the Archaeological Survey of India said: "A series of marble panels depicting plant motifs on the walls or reflective tiles used in this part of the monument are becoming disfigured."

It has previously been reported that cleaning the famous landmark has involved leaving mud clay to dry on the exterior walls before removing it with soft nylon brushes and water to leave the marble looking good as new.

This isn't a daily occurrence however, this method was however used in 1994, 2001 and 2008.

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