Agra Fort

Most tourist visit Agra to see the Taj Mahal but Agra, once the capital of Mughal Regime has lot more in its treasure. Less than 2 kilometers on the riverbank of Yamuna, there crowned the poignant, the Agra Fort.During the rule of Emperor Akbar the city of Agra reached its aggrandizement of fame. The construction of agra fort was started in 1156 by Akbar and was completed in 1605 by his son Shahjahan. Later he constructed many structures and complex inside the fortress. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encircles, within its 2.5- km-long enclosure walls, the magnificent city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal, built by Shah Jahan; audience halls, such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful mosques.

Inside complex of Agra Fort
One can access the agra fort through the Amar Singh Gate although the agra fort has two leading gates- Delhi Gate and Amar Singh Gate. Visitors are not allowed to have an access to the entire fort of agra, as the part of it is nowadays used by the Indian Army, but still the agra fort has enough to give an insight into the 16th century Mughal lifestyle.

Diwan-e-Khas : The hall of private audience was also built by Shah Jahan. It was here that the famous peacock throne was kept before being shifted to Delhi by Aurangzeb and finally carried away to Iran.

Diwan-e-Am : This was the hall of public hearing where the Emperor uses to hear the appeals of the public and meet the officials. The hall leads to the Nagina Mosque and the Ladies Bazaar where ladies of royal house use to come for shopping.

The Octagonal Tower : Shah Jahan was imprisoned here in this splendidly designed tower by his son Aurangzeb during last 7years of his life. The tower use to provide the best views of the Taj Mahal across the river Yamuna.

Moti Masjid : Shah Jahan also built Moti Masjid a white marble structure for his family members and court chiefs. It is one of the oldest mosques situated in Agra, the domes of the Mosque used to shine like a pearl making it unique in itself.

Jehangir Palace : This was built by Akbar for his favorite son Jehangir to provide him with the comfort and luxury inside the fort of agra.

Beside these there are other attractions inside the agra fort like Machhi Bhawan , Sheesh Mahal, Anguri Bagh, Jahangiri Mahal and Musamman Burj Shahjahan died in the Musamman Burj, a tower with a gorgeous marble parapet, which arrange the most astounding views of the Taj. The most striking feature of these marble complex were that walls were hollow and filled with running water to provide a cooling effect. If you climb up to the balconies in the pavilions, you will have some fantastic views of the Yamuna and the Taj.

Important Information
Timings : open all days from 6:00AM- 5:30PM daily. From Sunrise to Sunset.
Timings & Entry Fees : For Indians above 15 years: Rs. 20 per head. For foreigners above 15 years: US$ 5 or corresponding to Rs.520 per head

Accessibility
Agra City is easily accessible by Air Rail and Road transport. The agra fort can be approached by city taxi, rickshaw or by auto-rickshaw from the Taj.