Ahmad, Ustad

views updated May 11 2018

Ahmad, Ustad ( Ustad Ahmad Lahori) (c.1580–1649). Master Ahmad of Lahore, also known as Ahmad Mi'mar (Ahmad the Architect), became chief architect to Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–58). He is credited with the design of the huge Red Fort at Delhi (1639–48), and may have designed the Tâj Mahal (mausoleum of Arjumand Banu Begum, known as Mumtaz Mahal (d.1631)) at Agra (1631–48 and later). If these and other attributions are correct, he was one of the greatest architects of C17.

Bibliography

Placzek (ed.) (1982)