Forts and Palaces in Agra
Itimad Ud Daulah Agra
Before the
Taj Mahal was built, its design was already standing in the form of Itmad Ud Daulah's Tomb. Built to represent a silver jewel box in marble, this mausoleum houses the body of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, the father of the Mughal Empress Noor Jahan. After Noor Jahan married the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Mirza Ghiyas Beg was appointed the Lord Treasurer of the Empire or Itimad-ud-Daulah.
Fatehpur Sikri Agra
The city of Fatehpur Sikri is located at a distance of 40 km from Agra. According to legend, the Emperor Akbar, who did not have a male heir, was delighted when a son was born to him after he made a pilgrimage to visit the Sufi saint Sheikh Salim Chisti. To commemorate this event he decided to name his son Salim (later known as Jahangir) and to build a perfect city to honour the Saint. Fatehpur Sikri was built to symbolize the power of Akbar's empire, to represent the meaning of Allah's message to mankind and to display the wonders of the Islamic faith. Completed in 1578, Fatehpur Sikri has a grand palace where Akbar's court functioned for a few years, until the shortage of water caused the city to be abandoned.
Radha Swami Samadhi:- This is the head quarter of Radhaswami religion, here the holy ashes of the founder of the faith have been preserved. On the sprawing lawns here, is a beautiful marvel temple with beautiful carving of fruits, flowers, leavesand plants which have been reduced into stone true to nature, and are distinctive speciments of the plastic arts. This is under construction for almost 100 years.
Agra Fort India
The construction of the imposing Agra fort, built of blocks of red sandstone, began in 1156 during the reign of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar. The fort was completed in 1605 during the reign of his grandson Shah Jahan in 1605. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, which was the hallmark of the Mughal period, this sprawling fort stretches 2.5 km along the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The Agra fort has 2 gates, the Delhi Gate and the Amar Singh Gate, which is the fort's entrance. When you enter the gate you will find yourself in the Great courtyard. On the right is the Hall of Public Audience or Diwan-i-Am where Shah Jahan accepted petitions from the general public.
Taj Mahal Agra
A poet once described the
Taj Mahal as "A teardrop of love, frozen in marble on the cheek of Eternity." The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, in memory of his beloved wife Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal (Ornament of the Palace), after her death in 1631 when she was only 39 years old. The Taj Mahal is recognized the world over for its aesthetic perfection and is considered a monument to eternal love. Situated near the banks of the River Yamuna, in Agra, this white marble mausoleum is set like a jewel amidst the serene ambience of a formal garden. The Taj Mahal is a complex of buildings, with green lawns and waterways leading to a raised platform on which the tomb rests. The refined elegance of the artistic pietra dura work of inlaid designs on the marble walls of the Taj Mahal, the large onion-shaped dome and its surrounding symmetrical minarets represents the pinnacle of Islamic architecture in India.
Sikandra Agra
The Mughal Emperor Akbar, known as Akbar the Great, ruled an empire that stretched across North India from 1556 to 1605. His reign is considered the pinnacle of Mughal rule in India. Akbar's tomb is located in the serene ambience of Sikandra 3 km away from Agra. Akbar began building it during his lifetime and his son, the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, completed it. Some of its design features are similar to the design of the Taj Mahal built later in Agra. Akbar's tomb at Sikandra has a large arched entrance and green lawns, on which deer can be seen grazing, surround the tomb.
