What the Special in Agra Fort?

Akbar made it his capital and arrived in Agra in 1558. His historian

Agra Fort has many secret subterranean apartments and edifices. It is said that the entire fort is interconnected through tunnels and other underground pathways.

Akbar had it rebuilt with red sandstone. Architects laid the foundation and it was built with bricks in the inner core with sandstone on external surfaces. Some 1,444,000 builders worked on it daily for eight years, completing it in 1573.

According to historians, the emperors who owned the fort during their respective reigns are said to have contributed to the secret tunnels for obvious reasons. One such known tunnel is located near the Water Gate, connecting the fort to the banks of river Yamuna.

HolidayIQ Traveller Ayub Karajgi shares, “It was an awesome sightseeing place for every person. Any person can visit here without any permissions or request. It is a very nice to see the Taj Mahal which was made by Shah Jahan for his wife.

Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort in 1638, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. He took inspiration from the Agra Fort.

Abul Fazl, recorded that this was a brick fort known as 'Badalgarh'. It was in a ruined condition and Akbar had it rebuilt with red sandstone from Barauli area Dhaulpur district, in Rajasthan.

It was only during the reign of Akbar's grandson, Shah Jahan, that the site took on its current state. Shah Jahan built the beautiful Taj Mahal in the memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Unlike his grandfather, Shah Jahan tended to have buildings made from white marble. He destroyed some of the earlier buildings inside the fort to make his own

HolidayIQ Traveller Rizwanuddin Rafiq from Bhopal shares, “Agra Fort is world heritage site. It was a brick walled fort of Badal Singh in 11th century, and was known Badalgarh.

Shah Jahan was deposed and restrained by his son, Aurangzeb, in the fort. It is rumoured that Shah Jahan died in Muasamman Burj, a tower with a marble balcony with a view of the Taj Mahal.

Later Sultan Sikandar Lodhi captured the fort and ruled from here and after him his son Ibrahim Lodhi, who lost to Babur, who stayed in the palace of Ibrahim Lodi, he built a step well. Here Mughal Emperor Humayun was crowned in 1530, and he lost the battle in 1540 with Sher Shah Suri. Abul Fazal one of that period historian quote that the same fort was rebuilt by Emperor Akbar from 1558 to 1573 and later the legacy was extended to a great style by Shah Jahan.”

The fort was under the Jat rulers of Bharatpur for 13 Years. In the fort they built the Ratan Singh ki haweli.The fort was invaded and captured by the Maratha Empire in the early 18th century.

Agra is known for its timeless Taj Mahal. But, if you go beyond the world-renowned marbled architecture, you’ll find yourself busy with other places of interests. There’s Sikandra where the Emperor Akbar the Great was buried.

His large tomb is impressive. Fatehpur Sikri is also a stunning place to visit where Akbar built three palaces for his three wives who were all from three different religions. Then, there’s Agra Fort, another Mughal fortress that speak volumes of Indian history.

The Agra Fort won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2004. India Post issued a stamp to commemorate this event.

Agra Fort can be overwhelming when you’re exploring it alone. In a throng of people, the place seems small. Every nooks and corners of this fort are worth exploring. Take your time

The Agra Fort plays a key role in the Sherlock Holmes mystery The Sign of the Four, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

There are always interesting things to be found. You don’t even have to look harder for them. They’re visible and waiting to be appreciated.

The Agra Fort was featured in the music video for Habibi Da, a hit song of Egyptian pop star Hisham Abbas.

Shah Jahan, the one who built the Taj Mahal, was imprisoned here by his own son for eight years. Every visitor or tourist knows this because every tour guide says this. And even every guide book writes about it, too.

Shivaji came to Agra in 1666 as per the "Treaty of Purandar (1665)" entered into with Mirza Raje Jaisingh to meet Aurangzeb in the Diwan-i-Khas.

White marbles were added when it was transformed into a palace by Shah Jahan.

The imposing gate is impossible to penetrate as it is high and has double embankments.

The imposing gate is impossible to penetrate as it is high and has double embankments.

Do you know that there were 1,444,000 workers who built this fort in 8 years?