Origins & Early Life

Ustad Ahmad Lahori (lit. 'Master Ahmad of Lahore'; c.1580–1649), also known as Ahmad Mi'mar (lit. 'Ahmad the Architect'), was an architect and engineer of the Mughal Empire who served as the chief architect during the reign of Shah Jahan. He is credited with designing the Red Fort in Delhi and may have also been responsible for the design of the Taj Mahal in Agra, along with Mir Abd-ul Karim and Makramat Khan.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He is regarded as one of the greatest architects of the 17th-century. He was also one of the leading architects responsible for the establishment of the imperial city of Shahjahanabad. His architecture is a combination of Indo-Islamic and Persian architectural styles, and thus, a major instance of Indo-Persian culture. Ustad Ahmad Lahori hailed from the city of Lahore, as his nisba indicates. Lahori was from a family of Timurid architects, originally from Herat.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Even after his family's migration to Delhi, his family is still referred to by the epithet "Lahori". He was a skilled engineer who later in life was given the title of Nadir-ul-Asar ("wonder of the age") by Shah Jahan. Two of his three sons, Ataullah Rashidi and Lutfullah Muhandis, also became architects, as...

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