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About the Fort
The construction of the Agra fort was
started around 1565 when the initial structures were built by Akbar.
Shah Jahan replaced most of these with his marble creations. Some
however survived, among them are - Delhi Gate., Amar Singh Gate,
Akbari Mahal and the Jahangiri Mahal. The fort is crescent shaped,
flattened on the east with a long, nearly straight wall facing the
river. It has a total perimeter of 2.4 km, and is ringed by double
castellated
Gateways
The fort had originally
four gates, two of which were later walled up. Delhi gate in the west
is fortified by massive octagonal towers and faces the bazaar and
leads to the Jama Masjid in the city. Its architectural plan was
imperviously devised to put the defenders in an advantageous position.
Delhi gate is now closed for visitors. Jehangir Mahal
This is the first notable building that
the visitor sees on his right Jodha Bai's Palace To the right of Jehangir Mahal is Akbar's favourite queen Jodha Bai's Palace. In contrast to other palaces in the fort, it is rather simple. Through the slits in the wall one can see the Taj. Anguri Bagh These formal, 85 m square, geometric gardens lie to the left of the fort. During Shah Jahan's time the beauty of the gardens was considerably enhanced by decorative flower beds. Golden Pavilions
The curved chala roofs of the small
pavilions made by the Khaas Mahal are based on the roof shape of
Bengali village huts constructed out of curved bamboo, designed to
keep of heavy rains. The shape was first expressed in stone by the
Sultans of bengal. Originally gilded, these were probably ladies'
bedrooms with hiding places for jewelry in the walls. These pavilions
are traditionally associated with Shah Jahan's daughters – Roshanara
and Jahanara Begum. Situated in between the golden pavilions is the Khaas Mahal. Built entirely of marble by Shah Jahan, the palace demonstrates distinctive Islamic-Persian features. These are well blended with a striking range of Hindu features such as chhatries. It is considered to be emperor's sleeping room or 'Aramgah'. The Khaas Mahal provides the most successful example of painting on a white marble surface. Musamman Burj
On the left of the Khaas Mahal is the
Musamman Burj built by Shah Jahan. It is a beautiful octagonal tower
with an open pavilion. With its openness, elevation and the benefit of
cool evening breezes blowing in off the Yamuna River, this could well
have been used also as the emperor's bedroom. This is where Shah Jahan
lay on his death bed, gazing at the Taj. Access to this tower is
through a magnificently decorated and intimate apartment with the
scalloped fountain in the centre. The inlay work here is exquisite,
especially above the pillars. In front of the fountain is a sunken
courtyard which could be flooded and in the S Sheesh Mahal Opposite to the Musamman Burj and just below the Diwan-I-Khaas hall is the Sheesh Mahal or the Glass Palace. It is believed to have been the harem dressing room and its walls are inlaid with tiny mirrors which are the best specimens of the glass-mosaic decoration in India. The Sheesh Mahal is composed of two large halls of equal size, each measuring 11.15m X 6.40m. Both are connected in the centre by a broad arched opening and on the sides by two narrow passages.
Diwan-i-Khaas To the right of Sheesh Mahal is Diwan-I-Khaas, the hall of Private Audience. Presently entry is not allowed inside Diwan-I-Khaas but the fine proportions of the building can easily be appreciated. The marble pillars are inlaid with semi-precious stones in delightful floral patterns. Hammam-i-Shahi The right of Diwan-I-Khaas is the Hammam-I-shahi or the Shah Burj. Foreign travelers who visited Agra during the reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan have described these apartments as the Ghasal Khana (bathroom). It was not the Turkish bathroom as is generally but erroneously supposed. It was really an "air-conditioned"apartment, attached to the residential quarters and was used as a summer retreat. Business of very confidential nature was conducted here. Macchhi Bhawan Opposite to the Diwan-I-Khaas is the Macchhi Bhawan, the Fish Enclosure. The emperor sat on the white marble platform facing this enclosure. It once contained pools and marble fountains which were carried off by Jat Raja Surajmal to his palace at Deeg. Around the Macchhi Bawan were the imperial offices. Diwan-i-Am
In front of the Macchhi
Bhawan is Diwan-i-Am. One can approach it by going down an internal
staircase. The clever positioning of the pillars gives the visitor,
arriving through the gates in the right and left hand walls of the
courtyard, an uninterrupted view of the throne. On the back wall of
the pavilion are jali screens to enable the women of the court to
watch without being seen. The throne alcove is of richly decorated
white marble. It used to house the peacock Throne. When Shah Jahan
moved his capital to Delhi, it was taken to the Red Fort. From the corner opposite the Diwan-i-khaas two doorways lead to a view over the small courtyards of the zenana. Further round in the next corner is the Nagina Masjid. Shoes must be removed at the doorway. Built by Shah Jahan, this was the private mosque of the ladies of the court. Beneath it was Mina Bazaar for the ladies to make purchases from the marble balcony above. Moti Masjid To right of the Diwan-i-Am one can see the domes of the Moti Maszid (Pearl Mosque), the prettiest structure at Agra Fort. The building is presently closed for visitors. Mina Masjid Just above the Sheesh Mahal apartments is situated the Mina Masjid which seems to have been constructed by Shah Jahan for strictly private use. The Mina Masjid is enclosed on all sides by high walls. The marble mosque has three small arches in its façade which are plain and unadorned. The most important feature in this palace-mosque is the small chhajja above the arcade which is supported on four exquisitely carved and mould, small brackets of white marble. |
ramparts of red sandstone punctuated at regular intervals by bastions.
A 9 mt. Wide and 10 mt. Deep moat surrounds the outer wall. An
imposing 22 mt. High inner wall imparts a feeling of invincible
defensive construction. The route through the Amar Singh Gate is
dog-legged. 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.
hand side at the end of a spacious lawn, as one enters through the
Amar Singh Gate and emerges out of the passage. It was built by Akbar
as women's quarters and is the only building that survives among his
original palace buildings. It is built of stone and is simply
decorated on the exterior. The most important feature of the edifice
are its ornamental stone brackets which support the beams. In front is
a large stone bowl which we probably used to contain fragrant rose
water. Ornamental Persian verses have been carved along the outer rim,
which record its construction by Jehangir in 1611 AD. This elegant,
double storyed palace reflects a strong Hindi influence with
protruding balconies and domed chatries.
heesh
Mahal opposite are further examples of decorative water engineering in
the hammams.