Ustad Ahmad Lahori
Ustad Ahmad Lahori was a Mughal architect who is said to be the chief architect of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, built between 1632 and 1648 during the ruling period of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Its architecture, being a combination of Indo-Islamic and Mughal architectural styles, is widely praised around the world and Taj Mahal is considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. Life. He was an Indian of Persian ancestry, and as his name indicates, likely hailed from Lahore. Shah Jahan's court histories emphasize his personal involvement in the construction  and it is true that, more than any other Mughal emperor, he showed the greatest interest in building new magnificent buildings, holding daily meetings with his architects and supervisors. The court chronicler Lahori, writes that Shah Jahan would make "appropriate alterations to whatever the skillful architects had designed after considerable thought and would ask the architects competent questions." In writings by Lahori's son, Lutfullah Muhandis, two architects are mentioned by name; Ustad Ahmad Lahori and "Mir Abd-ul Karim". Ustad Ahmad Lahori had laid the foundations of the Red Fort at Delhi (built between 1638 and 1648). Mir Abd -ul Karim had been the favourite architect of the previous emperor Jahangir and is mentioned as a supervisor, together with "Makramat Khan", for the construction of the Taj Mahal.