Home :: Monuments Glossary :: Agra Fort
Near the gardens of Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. The forbidding exteriors of this fort hide an inner paradise. There are a number of exquisite buildings like Moti Masjid - a white marble mosque akin to a perfect pearl; Diwan-E-Am, Diwan-E-Khaas, Musamman Burj - where Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan died in 1666 A.D., Jahangir's Palace, Khaas Mahal and Sheesh Mahal. Agra Fort, an excellent example of Mughal architecture, is one of the few UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.
The construction of the
Agra fort was started around 1565, when the initial structures were
built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, and subsequently taken over by
his grandson Shah Jahan, who added most of the marble creations
to the fort. The fort is crescent shaped, flattened on the east
with a long, nearly straight wall facing the river. It is ringed
by double castellated ramparts of red sandstone, punctuated at regular
intervals by bastions. A 9m wide and 10m deep moat surrounds the
outer wall. An imposing 22m high inner wall imparts a feeling of
invincible defensive construction. The layout of the fort was determined
by the course of the river, which in those days flowed alongside.
The main axis is parallel to the river and the walls bridge out
towards the city.
The fort had originally four gates, two of which were later walled
up. Today, visitors are allowed entry only through the Amar Singh
gate. Jehangir Mahal is the first notable building that the visitor
sees as he enters through Amar Singh gate. Jehangir was Akbar's
son and the heir to the Mughal throne. Jehangir Mahal was built
by Akbar as the women's quarters. It is built of stone and is simply
decorated on the exterior. Ornamental Persian verses have been carved
on a large stone bowl, which were probably used to contain fragrant
rose water. Akbar built a palace, adjacent to Jehangir Mahal, for
her favourite queen Jodha Bai.
Built by Shah Jahan, entirely of marble, the Khaas Mahal demonstrates
distinctive Islamic-Persian features. These are well blended with
a striking range of Hindu features such as chhatris. It is considered
to be emperor's sleeping room or 'Aramgah'. Khaas Mahal provides
the most successful example of painting on a white marble surface.
On the left of the Khaas Mahal, is the Musamman Burj, built by Shah
Jahan. It is a beautiful octagonal tower with an open pavillion.
It boasts of its openness, elevation and cool evening breezes. This
is where Shah Jahan lay on his deathbed, gazing at the Taj.
Sheesh Mahal or the Glass Palace is the finest example of decorative
water engineering in the hammams. It is believed to have been the
harem or the dressing room, and its walls are inlaid with tiny mirrors
which are the best specimens of the glass-mosaic decoration in India.
To the right of Sheesh Mahal is Diwan-I-Khaas, the hall of Private
Audience. The marble pillars are inlaid with semi-precious stones
in delightful floral patterns. Adjacent to this, is the Mammam-E-Shahi
or the Shah Burj, used as the summer retreat. The Diwan-E-Am used
to house the famous Peacock Throne, which was taken to the Red Fort
when Shah Jahan moved his capital to Delhi. The throne alcove is
of richly decorated white marble. Nagina Masjid, built by Shah Jahan,
was the private mosque of the ladies of the court. Moti Masjid or
the Pearl Mosque is the prettiest structure at Agra Fort. The building
is presently closed for visitors. Near Moti Masjid is Mina Masjid,
which seems to have been constructed by Shah Jahan strictly for
his private use.
