Agra, the Red Fort

Agra's Red Fort was built by the mughal emperor Akbar between 1565 and 1573. It is an extremely impressive place to visit for architectural and historic reasons.


The Red Fort	Gate

Mother and child, tourists in the Red Fort	Jehangir's Palace, inside the fort

When Shahjahan was overthrown and imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb, he nevertheless was shut up in a part of the fort which had a view of Jahan's beautiful Taj Mahal, the tomb of his wife. In those days, he probably had a better view than we do today through the pollution.


Musamman Burj, Shahjahan's "prison cell" and the view of the Taj Mahal today

Eastern wall of the Fort	Khas Mahal and garden

Many of the buildings are beautifully decorated. There are at least two mosques inside the fort, but the most beautiful, the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque), is not open to visitors.


Khas Mahal	Diwan-i-Khas, Hall of Private Audience

Pietra Dura - inlay work on marble	Diwan-i-Am, Hall of Public Audience

The small Nagina Masjid, or Jewel Mosque, is open to the public and is quite lovely.

After moving his court from Delhi to Agra, Akbar soon became dissatisfied with that too and built an entirely new capital at Fatehpur Sikri.

Go on to the tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah.

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