Agra Fort

Agra Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the bank of the Yamuna, roughly 2.5 km from the Taj Mahal, and is regarded as the first great Mughal citadel. Its red sandstone walls earned it the name Red Fort. Before the Mughals it was a Rajput stronghold called Badalgarh, which changed hands through several wars until Akbar, choosing Agra as his capital in the 16th century, had it rebuilt and strengthened.

Four generations of Mughal rulers lived here and each left a mark. Akbar added buildings with Bengali and Gujarati features; Shah Jahan cleared some of them for white marble halls; Aurangzeb built an outer wall and a deep moat; British occupation later destroyed much of the marble work. Survivors include the Jahangir Palace, made for Akbar's son but used by royal women, and the Khas Mahal, Shah Jahan's residence with inlaid marble, fountains and lattice windows facing the Taj. Musamman Burj, where Shah Jahan is thought to have spent his final years as a prisoner, the Diwan-i-Khas, once home to the Peacock Throne, and the mirrored Sheesh Mahal are other highlights. Ventilation and an underground water system kept the rooms cool in summer.