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Agra Red Fort
The present Red Fort at Agra or the Agra Fort is the work of four great Mughal emperors – the strong red sandstone buildings characteristic of buildings made during the reign of Akbar; Jehangir who started using delicate minarets to flank the structures but did not deviate much from his father’s footsteps; Shah Jahan with a keen architectural insight and much refined and sophisticated artistic sense who adopted white marble as his favorite stone for the buildings and monuments he constructed; and Aurangzeb who relied on inexpensive brick and rubble with stucco ornamentation.
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| India Tours » India Travel Guide » Uttar Pradesh » Agra Red Fort |
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| Agra Red Fort |
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Situated in a crescent shape on the banks of River Yamuna, Agra  Fort has an expensive radius of 3 km. Emperor Akbar built it in 1565 and several additions were made to it later.Surrounded by a 70-foot wall, Red Fort at Agra is not as well planned as the Red Fort of Delhi that is younger to it by 100 years and was developed by the greatest architectural patriarch Shah Jahan. But it does present a most unique example of architectural evolution during the reign of Mughals at one place. There are several monument wonders here that are remarkable in their own right.
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Some of them are Moti Masjid or the Pearl Mosque used exclusively by members of the royal court; Jahangiri Mahal; Rang Mahal or the Royal Harem; Diwan-i-Am or the Hall of Public Audience where legendary Peacock Throne was housed before being looted and taken out of India; and Diwan-i-Khas or the Hall of Private Audience that features Black Throne of Jehangir. Other attractions of the Agra Fort include Golden Pavilions with ceilings resembling Bengali huts; white marble palace with incredible frescoes known as Khas Mahal; and Mussaman Burj, where Shah Jahan was imprison by his son Aurangzeb during his last days.
The tale of old Shah Jahan looking out to Taj Mahal from the balcony moves hearts of tourists. Guides also carry small mirrors in their pockets and tell you how a diamond was placed at a strategic position to allow Shah Jahan to have a last close look of Taj before he took his last breath. There were special arrangements for royal ladies. Nagina Masjid or the Gem Mosque was used exclusively by the ladies of the court while Sheesh Mahal or the Mirror Palace served as the dressing room for the royal ladies and features mosaic artwork made up of tiny mirrors. The Macchi Bhawan or the Fish Enclosure had beautiful shimmering pools and fountains and was part of the Harem while Zenana Mina Bazaar was developed only for ladies. Only female merchants sold their wares here. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Agra Fort has four gates on four sides and is sprawled across about 94 acres of land. |
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