Agra Sights

  1. Agra Fort

    With the Taj Mahal overshadowing it, it's easy to forget that Agra has one of the finest Mughal forts in India. By visiting the fort and Taj on the same day you get a Rs 50 reduction in ticket price. Construction of the massive red-sandstone fort and palace, on the bank of the Yamuna River, was begun by Emperor Akbar in 1565. Further additions were made, particularly by his grandson Shah Jahan, who added buildings using his favourite building material - white marble.

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  2. Akbar's Mausoleum

    This outstanding sandstone and marble tomb commemorates the greatest of the Mughal emperors, Akbar the Great. Although thrust into power at the tender age of 13, he expanded the Mughal empire to cover most of northern India. The huge courtyard of his tomb is entered through a stunning gateway. It has three-storey minarets at each corner and is built of red sandstone strikingly inlaid with white-marble geometric patterns.

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  3. Chini-ka-Rauza

    This is the Persian-style, riverside tomb of Afzal Khan, a poet and high official in the court of Shah Jahan. It was built between 1628 and 1639. This relatively unknown mausoleum is hidden away down a shady avenue of trees on the east bank of the Yamuna. Bright blue tiles still cover part of the exterior and the interior is painted in floral designs. The upper storey offers fine views.

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  4. Itimad-ud-Daulah

    Nicknamed the Baby Taj, the exquisite tomb of Mizra Ghiyas Beg should not be missed. This Persian nobleman was Emperor Jehangir's wazir (chief minister). His daughter Nur Jahan, who married Jehangir, built the tomb between 1622 and 1628, in a style similar to the tomb she built for Jehangir near Lahore in Pakistan.

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  5. Jama Masjid

    This fine mosque, built in the Kinari bazaar by Shah Jahan's daughter in 1648, has no minarets but features striking marble patterning on its domes.

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  7. Mehtab Bagh

    This park is an attempt at re-creating a Mughal-style garden on the riverbank directly opposite the Taj Mahal. Even if you don't visit the garden itself, it's well worth coming here to enjoy the wonderful view of the back of the Taj - in some ways a better view than the view from the front, especially when it's reflected in the river.

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  8. Taj Mahal

    Described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love, this sublime Mughal mausoleum is India's most ogled icon. Many have tried to sum up its beauty - 'a teardrop on the face of eternity' according to Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, 'the embodiment of all things pure' according to British writer Rudyard Kipling. As an architectural masterpiece it stands alone.

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  9. Taj Nature Park

    Follow the stone pathways through this mini nature park for a pleasant nature ramble among birds and butterflies, with the Taj hovering in the background.

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