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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 1558, 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.
Other Places of Interest In Agra
Taj
Mahal
Fatehpur
Sikri
Itmad-Ud-Daulah
Akbar's
Tomb, Sikandra
Swami
Bagh Samadhi
Mankameshwar
Temple
Guru
ka Tal
Chini
Ka Rauza
Ram
Bagh
Mariam's
Tomb
Mehtab
Bagh
Keetham
Lake
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