Agra Fort

The Agra Fort is a historical fort in the city of Agra in India also known as the Red Fort.

Rebuilt by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1565 and completed in 1573, it served as the main residence of the rulers of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi.

It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal.

The fort was given its present appearance during the reign of Akbar (A.D. 1556–1605).

Approaching Agra Fort.
Covering an area of 38 hectares, it is the largest fort in India. The enclosure walls, in red sandstone, are 21 meters high and 2.5 km long.

Agra Fort Plan.
The 380,000 m2 (94-acre) fort has a semicircular plan, its chord lies parallel to the river Yamuna and its walls are seventy feet high.

Plan Legend:

Nothern Tower.
Descent to Water Gate.
Nagina Masjid and ladies's private Bazaar.
Small Courts and ruins of Baths.
Open Terrace with Diwan-i-Khas on the south side.
Recess where the Emperor's Throne stood.
Hall of Public Audiences (Diwan-i-Am)
Machchi Bhawan.
John Russell Colvin's Tomb.
The Marble Baths of the Princess.
Grape Garden (Anguri Bagh).
Octagonal Tower (Muthamman Burj) (at the north angle is an outlet by secret passage).
Hall of Private Audiences (Diwan-i-Khas).
Mirror Palace (Shish Mahal).
Well.
Jahangiri Palace.
Tower (at the base is an entrance to a secret passage).
Incline from Amar Sing's Gate.
Ruins of Akbar Palace.
Elephant Gate.
Court of Amar Sing's Gate.

Rampart of Agra Fort.
Double ramparts have massive circular bastions at intervals, with battlements, embrasures, machicolations and string courses.

Amar Singh Gate.
Four gates were provided on its four sides, one Khizri gate opening on to the river.

Two of the fort's gates are notable: the "Delhi Gate" and the "Lahore Gate." The Lahore Gate is also popularly also known as the "Amar Singh Gate," for Amar Singh Rathore.
Tourists enter via the Amar Singh Gate.

Court of Amar Sing's Gate.
After passing Amar Singh Gate we enter the Court of Amar Sing's Gate.

Incline from Amar Singh Gate.
Going up towards the Hall of Public Audience (Diwan-i-Am).

West facade of Jahangiri Palace (Jahangiri Mahal).
At the top of the slope, we turn right and visit Jahangiri Palace.

Jahangiri Palace was the principal zenana (palace for women belonging to the royal household), and was used by the Rajput wives of Akbar.
See more at Jahangiri Mahal - Wikipedia.

Inner courtyard of Jahangiri Palace.
The palace was built by Akbar for his Hindu wives. It is one of the earliest surviving buildings of Akbar's reign.

East side of Jahangiri Palace.

Panoramic view from the east side of Jahangiri Palace.
In the distance, through the mist, you can see the Taj Mahal.

Shah Jahani Palace (Shahjahani Mahal).
Shah Jahani Palace (1628–35 AD) is situated in between the white marble Khas Palace and the red stone Jahangiri Palace and is set transitionally in between these two residential complexes of two different ages.

It is the earliest attempt of the Mughal emperor Shahjahan to convert an existing red stone building in accordance with his taste and it was his earliest palace in Agra Fort.
See more at Shah Jahani Mahal - Wikipedia.

Khas Palace (left) and Roshan Ara Pavilion (right).

Roshan Ara Pavilion.
Roshan Ara Pavilion is located on the right side of Khas Palace.

Khas Palace (Diwan-i-Khas).
The Khas Palace (Hall of Private Audiences) was the location where the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan received courtiers and state guests. It was also known as the Shah Palace (Shah Mahal).

A gate on the north side of the preceding Diwan-i-Am audience hall led to the innermost court of the palace called Jalau Khana and the Diwan-i-Khas.
Originally there were two enclosures on the west of the hall, one for the nobles and the other for those of a lower rank. These arcaded courts were destroyed after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Inside Khas Palace.
Khas Palace consists of two large halls, an outer columned hall and inner closed hall, both connected by three archways.

The outer hall is covered by a flat roof supported on multifoil arches springing from exquisitely fine marble pillars. The marble pillars are inlaid with semi-precious stones and coloured flower patterns. The hall is exquisitely decorated with carvings and flat wooden ceiling which used to be covered with gold and silver leaves to imitate the rays of the sun. The hall represents the royal accesses and thus the interior hall has Persian inscriptions inlaid in black stone.
The Inner hall, about which Abdul Hamid Lahauri recorded as Tambi Khana, has Shah-Nashin alcoves with a raised seat for the Emperor. The walls in between the two halls have beautiful jalis, beautifully designed and finished with floral patterns.

View from Khas Palace to the east.
In the distance, through the mist, you can see the Taj Mahal.

Jahan Ara Pavilion.
Jahan Ara Pavilion is located on the left side of Khas Palace.

Musamman Burj.
Musamman Burj also known as the Saman Burj or the Shah-burj, is an octagonal tower standing close to the Shah Jahan's private hall Diwan-e-Khas.

Shah Jahan chose this site to erect the multi-storied marble tower inlaid with precious stones for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
It was built between 1631–40.
See more at Musamman Burj (Agra Fort) - Wikipedia.

Musamman Burj courtyard.
The Musamman Burj is made of delicate marble lattices with ornamental niches so that the ladies of the court could gaze out unseen.

Detail of the interior decoration.
The decoration of the walls is pietra dura.

Musamman Burj interior.
The chamber has a marble dome on top and is surrounded by a verandah with a beautiful carved fountain in the center.

Garden in the courtyard (Anguri Bagh).

Glass Palace (Shish Mahal).
The Glass Palace (1631–40 AD) was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a part of summer palace.

Its most distinctive feature is glass mosaic work done on its walls and ceiling.
These glass pieces have high mirror quality which glittered and twinkled in thousand ways in semi-dark interior.
The glass was imported from Haleb of Syria.