What the Special in Agra Fort?

Akbar used the Delhi gate as his main entrance and the gate also served as a security against the invaders.

There is also an inner gateway known as the Elephant Gate. The entrances were built in such a manner that the invaders found it difficult to enter the fort even with the help of war elephants. The Indian army still uses the Delhi gate for security purposes.

There are many similar, and equally appalling, examples from places as far apart as ancient China, the Roman and Byzantine Empires, Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and Medieval and Renaissance Europe.

The fort has various palaces and halls. Among the palaces, the prominent ones are Macchi Bhavan, Khas Mahal and Shah Jahani Mahal.

The Amar Singh gate leads to the courtyard. The magnificent Diwan-I-Am (Hall of Public Audience) is on the right hand side. A little further lay the royal pavilions, which houses the famous Nagina Masjid and Mina Masjid. The fort also has royal baths made out of marbles, which were used by the princesses.

The gate was originally tiled. Although the colorful tile has been lost, The inlay patterns remain in the stone into which they were set.

For defensive reasons, this gate is placed perpendicular to the walls.

After passing through here, the visitor has to enter yet another gate, the Akbari Darwaza, before reaching the inside of the fort.

Bricks formed the base of Agra Fort’s structure. Red sandstone was brought all the way from Rajasthan and that was laid on the external surfaces. Back then, the entire fort was built using the red sandstone.

Akbari Darwaza ("Akbar's Gate") is the third and final gate that guards the south entrance to the fort.

The gate pierces the fort's massive inner wall between these two protective towers, which still retain some traces of their original tiling.

This appearance of the fort underwent a major change during the reign of Shah Jahan. Unlike his grandfather, Shah Jahan was smitten by the beauty of white marble. Hence, he destroyed many structures within the fort, only to rebuild them using white marble. Shah Jahan was made to spend his final days in the Musamman Burj of the Agra fort, which was built by him.The Musamman Burj is located on the left of the Khaas Mahal. It is a beautiful octagonal tower with an open pavilion. It is said that Shah Jahan used to view the Taj Mahal from this very place.

The Agra Fort is one of the finest Mughal forts in India, although it’s overshadowed by the Taj; the fort is an imposing red sandstone structure built by Emperor Akbar in 1565.

agra Fort is a historical fort in the city of Agra in India. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. Before capture by the British, the last Indian rulers to have occupied it were the Marathas.

After Akbar’s grandson Shah Jahan came into power he made further additions to the fort using his favourite material - marble, he transformed the military structure into a palace and later it became a gilded prison for Shah Jahan when his son Aurangzeb seized power in 1658.

When the British took over the ownership of Agra Fort, much more changes were made to the fort. They destroyed many structures and edifices with historical significances, citing political reasons and for raising barracks. The structures that managed to survive showcase the real complexity and workmanship of Mughal architecture.

HolidayIQ Traveller Raghavendra Chandrashekar from Bangalore shares, “Visited Agra Fort the same day as of Taj, since it is very close to Taj Mahal. The fort is impressive but not well maintained.

The Agra fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site.[1] It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. The fort can be more accurately described as a walled city.

Fine examples of the Mughal architecture within the fort are the Delhi Gate, Amar Singh Gate and the Bengali Mahal. These structures not only represent Mughal architecture, but are also fine examples of Akbari architecture which is also known as Indo-Islamic architecture. Among these structures the Delhi Gate is considered as the most prominent for its workmanship and architectural design. Even today, it is regarded as one of Akbar’s masterpiece. Speaking about masterpiece, there is an interesting legend associated with the architecture of the Agra Fort.

Fort has the belongings of different Mughal Kings as it was the mainstay during their rule in India. Monument is not been well maintained and we could see some of really beautiful carvings in bad shape. You can view Taj Mahal from Agra Fort and the view is good.”

After the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, Babur stayed in the fort, in the palace of Ibrahim Lodi. He later built a baoli (step well) in it. His successor, Humayun, was crowned in the fort in 1530.

It is said that the royal rooms of the fort were built in such a way that they would remain cool even during the summer. The legend has it that the walls were made hollow and then filled with water from the river, so that they would remain cool.

He was defeated at Bilgram in 1540 by Sher Shah Suri. The fort remained with the Suris till 1555, when Humayun recaptured it. Adil Shah Suri's general, Hemu, recaptured Agra in 1556 and pursued its fleeing governor to Delhi where he met the Mughals in the Battle of Tughlaqabad.

Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb for 8 years in the octagonal tower of the Agra fort. It is rumoured that Shah Jahan died in Musamman Burj, a tower with a marble balcony with a view of the Taj Mahal.

HolidayIQ Traveller Naveen Tiwari from Bhubaneswar shares, “It is one of the famous monuments in Agra. Eating is prohibited inside Agra Red Fort, fort is an amazing architecture. I visited the fort after visiting Taj Mahal with my friends. We enjoyed very much, every visitor should visit, it is open from morning to evening. Emperor Shahjahan was imprisoned by his own son Aurangzeb here.”