Ustad Isa (or Ustad Ahmad Lahori) was the chief architect of the Taj Mahal, commissioned by Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The construction began in 1632 and took approximately 22 years to complete. Isa led a team of over 20,000 workers and craftsmen, creating this masterpiece of Mughal architecture that combines Persian, Islamic, and Indian styles.