Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Agra Fort Tourist Information And Heritage Places india

Agra Fort



Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site located on the banks of River Yamuna at Uttar Pradesh in India. The fort was constructed by the third Mughal emperor Akbar. The fort is made of red sand stone and it consists of small palaces and structures such as Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal and built three marble mosques in them viz. Moti-Masjid, Nagina-Masjid and Mina-Masjid.

Located on the right bank of the River Yamuna in the city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh is the Agra Fort; one of the most important strongholds of the Mughals as per Indian history. The fort was constructed by the third Mughal emperor Akbar on the remains of an ancient site known as Badalgarh.

Sikandar Lodi (1487-1517) was the first Sultan of Delhi to shift his capital from Delhi to Agra. The Mughal rulers took the fort from his son Ibrahim Lodi, who held the fort for nine years until he was defeated and killed in the battle of Panipat in 1526 by Humayun the second emperor of Mughal dynasty. Humayun captured the fort and seized vast amount of treasure including the Kohinoor diamond. His father Babur built a baoli (step wall) in Agra and Humayun was coronated here in 1530. After Humayun’s defeat at Bilgram in 1540, Sher Shah of the Sur dynasty occupied Agra fort and garrisoned it.

Akbar arrived in Agra in 1558. He ordered to renovate the fort with red sandstone. Some 4000 builders worked on a daily basis and it was completed in eight years (1565-1573).

The Fort, which is semi-circular in plan, spreads over 94 acres of land and is surrounded by a 21.4 m high fortification wall. There are four gates on its four sides, one of the gates was called khizri-gate (the water gate), which opens to the river front, where ghats (quays) were provided. The fort survived the onslaught of time, nature and men and at present there exists more than two dozens of monuments in the Fort.

Abul Fazl, a court historian of Akbar, records that 5000 buildings were built here beautifully in Bengali and Gujarati style. Most of these buildings have now disappeared. Shah Jehan himself demolished some of these in order to make room for his white marble palaces. Later, the British destroyed most of the buildings for raising barracks. Hardly 30 Mughal buildings have survived on the southeastern side. Of these, the Delhi-Gate, Akbari-Gate and Bengali-Mahal, are representatives of buildings raised during the reign of Akbar.

Shah Jehan raised several white marble palaces and fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal and built three marble mosques in them viz. Moti-Masjid, Nagina-Masjid and Mina-Masjid. Shah Jehan was imprisoned by his own son Aurangzeb in the fort for eight years. Aurangzeb further built the barbicans around the two gates and on the reverse side to strengthen it. Shivaji came to Agra in 1666 and met Aurangzeb in the Diwan-i-Khas. Aurangzeb died in 1707 and 18th century history of Agra Fort is a saga of sieges and plunder during which it was held by the Jats and the Marathas and finally by the British who captured it in 1803.


The beauty of Mughal art and architecture

The Fort of Agra is a perpetual monument to Mughal art and architecture. The fort is a huge complex built of red sandstone and has four gates.

The fort was constructed by the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great. The fort is situated towards the east of Agra city in Uttar Pradesh, India. The walls and roof of the Fort are decorated with splendid example of Mughal architecture.

The Fort houses the beautiful Pearl Mosque and numerous palaces including Jehangir Palace, Diwan-I-Am, Khas Mahal, Palace of Mirrors and the jewel-like Gem Mosque.

Nagina Masjid in Agra Fort

Nagina Masjid is inside the Agra Fort and is made of white marble. The Fort was built by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar. The Nagina Masjid is also called Gem Mosque. This building was constructed by the Emperor Shah Jehan as a prayer palace with typical cusped arches. It was for the ladies of the court.

The Gem Mosque is situated in the north- west corner of the Machili Bhavan. There is a Mina Bazaar for the royal ladies to buy things from the marble balcony beneath the Nagina Masjid.

The Fort of Agra is an amazing structure comprising  sprawling palaces showcasing not only the Mughal empire under Akbar, but also the advancement of Mughal art and architecture. Agra fort and city is an incredible Indian travel destination.


Jehangir's Palace, Agra Fort

Jehangir’s Palace (Mahal), one of the outstanding and the most beautiful palaces inside the Agra fort. Built by the Mughal emperor Akbar, Agra fort has been listed as one of the monuments in UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The palace is a double storied building made of red sandstone with protruding balconies. The structure is a blend of Hindu and Central Asian architectural styles. Its walls and ceiling are painted in bright colours including the golden paint in traditional Rajput style.

Agra fort is an interesting destination for those who travel to the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.


agra fort, red sandstone,  uttar pradesh, river yamuna, mughal emporer, architecture, akbar, badalgarh, sikandar lodi, humayun, world heritage site, water gate, moti-masjid, nagina-masjid and mina-masjid, shah jehan, diwan-i-khas

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