It took more than 20,000 workers and a little over two decades to construct the Taj Mahal complex, which includes the mausoleum, main gateway, garden, mosque, and jawāb (literally “answer”; a building mirroring the mosque). The plans for the complex have been attributed to various architects of the period, though the chief architect is said to have been Ustad Aḥmad Lahawri (also spelled Lahori), an Indian of Persian descent. Master artisans, including calligrapher Amanat Khan al-Shirazi and expert stonemasons, painters, sculptors, and inlayers were enlisted not only from various regions of the Mughal Empire but also from Persia and parts of Central Asia, with a number of officials of the empire overseeing the work. Apart from the white marble of the mausoleum, other materials including lapis lazuli, jade, turquoise, jasper, and sandstone were used in the construction. While some were available in India, much was obtained from regions such as China, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan, carried by hundreds of elephants.
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