Agra Fort

Agra Fort is a mighty walled city of red sandstone on the Yamuna river, the main residence of the Mughal emperors before Delhi, and a UNESCO site. Behind its massive ramparts lie a wealth of palaces, audience halls, mosques and courtyards in red stone and white marble. From its towers the emperor Shah Jahan, imprisoned by his own son in his final years, gazed out at the Taj Mahal he had built for his wife.

History

The earliest written reference to a fort at Agra comes from a Ghaznavid raid of 1068-1070, and local tradition says Raja Badal Singh built a fort called Badalgarh here in 1475; Sultan Sikandar Lodi moved his capital to Agra and died in the fort in 1517, and after his son Ibrahim was killed at Panipat in 1526 the Mughals took it, Babur ruling from Ibrahim's palace and Humayun being crowned here in 1530. Akbar made Agra his capital in 1558 and in 1565-1573, with some 4,000 workers a day, rebuilt the ruined brick fort in red sandstone from Dhaulpur; Shah Jahan added white marble palaces and mosques after 1628, and the fort remained the main Mughal residence until the capital moved to Delhi in 1638. The Marathas were the last Indian rulers to hold it before the British captured it in 1803 (Wikipedia, Agra Fort).

What to look for

• The red ramparts - the massive double walls and gates of the fort.
• The marble palaces - the ornate royal apartments and audience halls.
• The view of the Taj - the distant Taj Mahal seen from the fort's towers.
• The courtyards and mosque - the gardens, courts and the Pearl Mosque.

When to go

October to March for the coolest weather; pair it with the Taj Mahal, ideally the fort in the afternoon after a dawn visit to the Taj. Go early or late to avoid the midday heat.

Practical notes

Much of the fort is still used by the military and closed to visitors, so you see a portion of the complex. It is best paired with the Taj Mahal, though seeing both makes a full day in hectic Agra. The distant view of the Taj from the fort is poignant but hazy on poor-air days.

Nearby

The Taj Mahal is across the city; Fatehpur Sikri is a short drive.

Key facts