Location: Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Founded By: Emperor Akbar
Time of Construction: 1565 to 1573
Best Time to Visit: November to February
Timings: 6:00 am to 5:30 pm (Daily)
Interesting Facts: Agra Fort won the 'Aga Khan Award for Architecture' in the year 2004. Indian Post issued a Stamp to commemorate the Aga Khan Award on 28th November 2004.
Agra Fort, situated on the banks of River Yamuna, dates back to the 16th century. Mughal Emperor Akbar laid down the foundation of the fort, in the year 1565. As many as 4000 builders were involved in the construction of Agra Fort for a period of eight years and completed it in 1573. Agra Red Fort has been built in the shape of a crescent, which is flattened on the east with a long wall that faces River Yamuna. Built out of red sandstone, the fort lies 2 km to the northwest of the magnificent Taj Mahal.
The Red Fort of Agra stands enclosed within massive double walls, which rise to a height of 69 ft and have a circumference of 2.5 km. The walls have two entry gates, known as the Delhi Gate and the Lahore Gate or Amar Singh Gate. The Delhi Gate initially provided entrance to the fort and led to the inner portal, called the Hathi Pol or Elephant Gate. Encircled by a moat, Agra fort has a number of buildings within its complex and is a city within itself. There are a number of palaces inside the fort complex, along with numerous splendid mosques.
Presently, entrance to the fort has been limited to the Amar Singh Gate only. However, the general public is granted access from the southern part of the Agra Fort, which provides admission to almost all the buildings. Of the numerous structures inside the fort complex, the most popular ones are Jehangir Mahal, Khas Mahal, Diwan-i-Aam and Sheesh Mahal.
Jehangir Mahal
On entering the Agra Red Fort through the Amar Singh Gate, the first building one comes across is the Jehangir Mahal. The mahal or palace stands at the end of a lawn and was intended to serve as