More than 20,000 workers were employed from India, Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and Europe to complete the mausoleum itself by about 1638–39; the adjunct buildings were finished by 1643, and decoration work continued until at least 1647. In total, construction of the 42-acre (17-hectare) complex spanned 22 years.

The chief architect was probably Ustad Ahmad Lahouri, an Indian of Persian descent who would later be credited with designing the Red Fort at Delhi. In all, more than 20,000 workers from India, Persia, Europe and the Ottoman Empire, along with some 1,000 elephants, were brought in to build the mausoleum complex.

The acoustics inside the main dome, which soars to 240 feet, can cause the single note of a flute to echo five times. The meticulously engineered and decorated Taj Mahal required 22 years of labor by 20,000 workers. And more than 1,000 elephants were deployed to carry construction materials.