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India Tourism » Agra Travel Guide » Tourist Attractions Agra Tourist Attractions Agra Some of the major tourist attractions in the Agra city include :- Taj Mahal  The
Taj is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular buildings of the
world. Renowned for its architectural magnificence and aesthetic
beauty, it counts among man's proudest creations and is invariably
included in the list of the world's foremost wonders. As a tomb,
it has no match upon earth, for mortal remains have never been housed
in greater grandeur. Agra 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 Jehangir Mahal. The fort is crescent shaped, flattened on the east with a long, nearly straight wall facing the river. 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. 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. The Amar Singh Gate lies to the South and is defended by a square bastion flanked by round towers. It had a crooked entrance with dangerous trap points and a steep rise. Its Naubat Khana Court with pillared pavilions is an impressive structure. Visitors are allowed entry through this gate only. Monuments Inside The Agra Fort  Jehangir
Mahal This is the first notable building that the visitor sees on his right 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. Ornamental Persian verses have been carved along the outer rim, which record its construction by Jehangir in 1611 AD. Jodha Bai's Palace To the right of Jehangir Mahal is Akbar's favourite queen Jodha Bai's Palace. In contrast to other palaces ,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 blessed 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 - Roshara and Jahanara Begum. Khaas Mahal  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'.Musamman Burj On the left of the Khaas Mahal id 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. 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 ndia. The Sheesh Mahal is composed of two large halls of equal size, each measuring 11.15m X 6.40m. 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. 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. Hammam-i-Shahi The right of Diwan-I-Khaas is the Mammam-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. Nagina Masjid 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 Just above the Sheesh Mahal apartments is situated the Mina Masjid (Pearl Mosque), the most 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 molded, small brackets of white marble. Fatehpur Sikri  A
royal city perfectly preserved, Fatehpur Sikri provides a marvellous
escape into the past. Akbar embarked on the construction of a new
capital here when a prophecy of the birth of a male royal heir,
by the Sufi Saint Salim Chisti of Sikri, came true.Imposing gateways and light- hearted palaces were built in red sandstone within this fortified city only to be abandoned a few years later. Among its many architectural game are the places for his queens - Jodha Bai, Mariyam and his Turkish sultana, built in varying styles, each perfect in itself. The Diwan-e-Khas entirely unique in its concept is a tall vaulted room with an intricately carved central pillar and capital supporting a platform that once held the emperor's throne. Narrow galleries link this to the corners of the room where it is believed his ministers sat The airy Panch Mahal a 5 storied structure rising in pyramidal fashion was probably used by the ladies of the court. Set like a jewel in a courtyard of pink sandstone is the finest building here, the marble tomb of Salim Chisti enclosed by finely carved, lacy marble screens. The Buland Darwaza, an imposing gateway 54 m high was built to commemorate Akbar's Aligarh the famous university town is a center of Islamic studies. The city is also noted for its handicrafts and metal wares. Location 37 kms from Agra is built a city predominantly in Red Sandstone called Fatehpur Sikri. This town was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He had planned this city as his capital but shortage of water compelled him to abandon the city and within 20 years the capital of Mughals was shifted to Lahore. History Jajal-ud-din-muhammad Akbar, the 3rd Mughal emperor and Humanyun's son, accessed the throne at the tender age of 14. While hunting around Sikri his curiosity was aroused by the songs of some minstrels about the celebrated Khwaja-mu'inu'd-din Chisti, the founder of the Chisti order of sufis. Akbar who was without a male heir heard about saint Salim Chisti and visited him in the year 1568. The saint blessed him with 3 sons and in gratitude, Akbar ordered the great mosque of Fatehpur Sikri built under Salim's supervision. The hamlet of Sikri was named Shukri (for shukriya -- returning thanks) by Babur. Akbar named the city Fatehpur (fateh is victory -- city of victory) after his conquest over Gujrat on June 1573. Eager to make this a reflection of his glorious conquests, Akbar promulgated his farthest-reaching reforms; transformed the city in to a classic example of town planning. His devoted team of advisors created a unique example of conciliation and co-operation and the forerunner of Indian secular ideals of today. Sikandra  Welcome
to Sikandra, a supurb of Agra, only 13 km. from the Agra Fort, the
last resting place of the Mughal emperor Akbar. Akbar was the greatest
of the Mughal emperors and one of the most secular minded royalties
of his time. He was the heir to a long tradition of oriental refinement,
a great patron of the arts, literature, philosophy and science.A visit to Akbar's monument opens before one, the completeness of Akbar's personality as completely as the Taj Mahal does of Mumtaz Mahal's. Akbar's vast, beautifully carved, red-ochre sandstone tomb is set amidst a lush garden. Akbar himself planned his own tomb and selected a suitable site for it. To construct a tomb in one's lifetime was a Tartary custom which the Mughals followed religiously. Akbar's son Jahangir completed the construction of this pyramidal tomb in 1613. APPROACH: One can approach the monument from the Southern gate only. Ticket counter is located to the left of this gate. THE GARDEN : The tomb stands in the center of a vast garden, which is enclosed by high walls on all sides. In the middles of each enclosing wall is a monumental gateway. The whole garden is divided into four equal quarters on the conventional charbhag plan. Each quarter is separated by a high terrace or raised path with a narrow shallow water channel running at the center. Each terrace has in the center, a tank with fountains. Agra India Tourism Reservation Form
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