Sightseeing in Agra,
Uttar Pradesh - India
Jahangir's Palace
Akbar is belived to have built this palace, the largest
private residence in the fort, for his son. This was one of the
first constructions demonstrating the fort's changing emphasis
from millitary to luxurious living quarters. The palace is also
interesting for its blend to hindu and central Asian
architectural styles - a contrast to the unique Moghul style
which had developed by the time of Shah Jahan.
Agra Fort
Within a radius of 3 kilometers, on the banks of the river
Yamuna, rises the crescent like Agra Fort. Designed and built by
Akbar in 1565 A.D., the fort is surrounded by a 70 feet high
wall. It houses the beautiful Pearl Mosque and numerous palaces
includ ing
the Jahangir Mahal, Diwan-i-Khas, Diwan-i-Am and Moti Masjid.
Later it was used by his son Jehangir also as the seat of power.
Shahjahan modeled his creation, the Red Fort at Delhi on this
fort. The Agra fort happens to be on the same bank of the river
Yamuna as the Taj Mahal which is visible in all its beauty from
one side of the fort. So very ironically, Shahjahan, a prisoner
of his son Aurangzeb in his old age was put in a cell from where
he could gaze at the Taj Mahal at a distance, from his cell in
the Agra Fort.
The fort has four gates and is enclosed by a double barricaded
wall of red sand stone. Many buildings were constructed within
the fort of which very few remain till date. One of the most
significant ones is the multi storied Jahangir Mahal built by
Akbar for his wife Jodha Bai.
The Mahal is reached through an impressive gateway and its inner
courtyard consists of beautiful halls, profuse carvings on
stone, exquisitely carved heavy brackets, piers and cross beams.
Open: 7 A.M. to 6 P.M.
Itimad-Ud-Daulah
The tomb of Mirza Ghisas Beg. This Persian gentleman was
Jehangir's wazir, or Chief Minister and his beautiful daughter
later married the emperor. The tomb was constructed By Nur Jahan,
the Light Of the world, between 1622 and 1628 and is very
similar to the Tomb she constructed for her husband, Jehangir
near Lahore in Pakistan.The Itimad-ud-Daulah is open from
sunrise to sunset.
Jama Masjid
Across the railway tracks from the Delhi Gate of Agra Fort
the Jami Masjid was built by Shah Jahan in 1648. An inscription
over the main gate indicates that it was built in the name of
Jahanara, Shah Jahan's daughter who was imprisoned with Shah
Jahan by Aurangzeb
Ram Bagh
Laid out in 1528 by Babur the first of the Mughal emperors
this is the earliest Mughal garden. It is said that Babur was
temporarily buried here before being permanently interred at
Kabul in Afaganisthan. The Ram Baug is 2 to 3 km further north
of the Chini Ka rauza on the riverside and is open from sunrise
to sunset.
Octagonal Tower
The Musamman Burj, or Octagonal Tower, stands close to the
Diwan-I-Khas and the small, private Mina Masjid. Also known as
the Saman Burj, this tower was built by Shah Jahan for Mumtaz
Mahal and is another of his finely designed buildings. It was
here, with its views along the Yamuna to the Taj, that Shah
Jahan died in 1666, after seven years' imprisonment.
Unfortunately the tower has been much damaged over the years.
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