2021-08-23 07:55:43
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 ruler.
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.
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.
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