How to Draw the Taj Mahal (Easy Step by Step)
The Taj Mahal is a great drawing for beginners because it is made almost entirely from rectangles, arches, and domes. You build it from the bottom up, and the matching left and right sides help you check your work. By the end you will have a grand building with a big onion-shaped dome and two tall towers.
- Medium
- 20 minutes
- 8 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawing
In this article (7 sections)
How to draw the Taj Mahal step by step
How to Draw the Taj Mahal · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: Base and block side
Draw a long, wide rectangle at the bottom for the platform. Then draw one straight line going up from the platform, and a short line going left from its top, curling a little at the right end.
Step 3: The great dome
Sit a big round onion shape on top, wider in the middle and curving in at the bottom. Add two curved bands under it and a pointed tip with a tall thin spire. Then draw the left side of the middle block as a straight line going down to the platform.
Step 4: The grand doorway
Inside the middle block, draw a tall rectangle frame. Tuck a big pointed arch inside it, then add a small door with a rounded top at the bottom.
Step 5: Side wings
Draw a tall wall on each side of the middle block, going up from the platform. Add a row of tiny arches along the top of each wall, little tilted corner pieces, and tall thin posts at the outer edges.
Step 6: Two small domes
Draw a smaller half-circle dome with a point on top over each wing. Add a straight line under each dome to sit it on the wall.
Step 7: Pointy arched windows
Draw tall windows on each wing, a big and a skinny one up top and a big and a skinny one below. Make each one a rectangle with a pointed top like a tiny roof.
Step 8: Tall minarets
On each far side, draw a tall skinny tower that gets a bit wider toward the bottom. Add two thin rings around the middle, and finish each top with a little room, a tiny arch window, and a small dome.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your Taj Mahal? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a rocket or how to draw a shooting star next.
Tips for drawing the Taj Mahal
- Draw a light line straight down the middle first so the dome, doorway, and both wings stay lined up.
- The big dome is the trickiest part: think of an upside-down teardrop that curls in at the bottom, and sketch it lightly before going over it.
- Make the pointed arches by drawing a rectangle and adding a small roof shape on top, and do the left and right windows together so they match.
Free Taj Mahal coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this Taj Mahal coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your Taj Mahal drawing
Leave the building white or pale cream, and color the sky a soft pink or orange like sunset. For a creative twist, make the dome and the tops of the towers a light gray.
Taj Mahal fun fact for kids
The Taj Mahal is in Agra, India. Emperor Shah Jahan had it built as a tomb for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Questions about drawing the Taj Mahal
What shapes do I need to draw the Taj Mahal?
You need rectangles for the base, walls, and towers, half circles for the small domes, and one big onion shape for the main dome. Pointed arches finish the door and windows.
How do I make both sides of the Taj Mahal match?
Draw a faint line down the center and copy each part on the other side at the same height. Check the windows and towers against each other as you go.
What is the easiest way to draw the big dome?
Start with a light oval, then pinch it in a little at the bottom and add a small point on top. Go over it with a darker line once you like the shape.
