Agra Fort

Lonely Planet review

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.

The fort was built primarily as a military structure, but Shah Jahan transformed it into a palace, and later it became his gilded prison for eight years after his son Aurangzeb seized power in 1658. The ear-shaped fort's colossal double walls rise over 20m in height and measure 2.5km in circumference. The Yamuna River originally flowed along the straight eastern edge of the fort. It contains a maze of buildings, forming a city within a city, though many of the structures were destroyed over the years by Nadir Shah, the Marathas, the Jats and finally the British who used the fort as a garrison.

The Amar Singh Gate to the south is the sole entry point to the fort and its dogleg design is meant to confuse attackers who made it past the first line of defence - a crocodile-infested moat.

Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audiences) was used by Shah Jahan for domestic government business, and features a throne room where the emperor listened to petitioners. In front of it is the small and rather incongruous grave of John Colvin, a lieutenant-governor of the northwest provinces who died of an illness in the fort during the 1857 Uprising. The Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) is usually closed to visitors but don't miss the tiny but exquisite Nagina Masjid (Gem Mosque), built in 1635 by Shah Jahan for the ladies of the court. Down below was the Ladies' bazaar where the court ladies bought goods.

Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audiences) was reserved for important dignitaries or foreign representatives. The famous jewel-encrusted Peacock Throne was housed here until Aurangzeb moved it to Delhi. It was taken off to Iran in 1739 by the Persian plunderer Nadir Shah. Overlooking the river and the distant Taj Mahal is Takhti-i-Jehangir, a huge slab of black rock with an inscription around the edge. This throne was made for Jehangir when he was prince Salim. An interesting optical illusion occurs when the Taj is viewed from this throne and then from the other side of the courtyard - though further away, it appears much larger.

The Shish Mahal (Mirror Palace) has its walls inlaid with tiny mirrors, but at the time of research was closed for restoration. Even so, caretakers will offer to let you in for outrageous baksheesh.

Musamman Burj and Khas Mahal are the wonderful white-marble octagonal tower and palace where Shah Jahan was imprisoned for eight years until his death in 1666, and from where he could gaze out at the Taj Mahal, the tomb of his wife. The Mina Masjid was his own private mosque.

In the courtyard of the large harem quarters is Anguri Bagh, a garden that has been brought back to life; now it looks like it may have done in Shah Jahan's time.

The huge red-sandstone Jehangir's palace was probably built by Akbar for his son Jehangir; it blends Indian and Central Asian architectural styles, a reminder of the Mughals' Afghani cultural roots. In front of the palace is Hauz-i-Jehangir, a huge bowl carved out of a single block of stone, which may have been used for bathing.