Agra is a city in India with a long, mostly obscure history.  It was not until the Mughal Empire rose to take control of the region that the city began to grow and become regionally important.  Probably the most well known of Agra’s monuments is the Taj Mahal, though the Red Fort of Agra is nearly as impressive.  A fort has been present at Agra in one form or another for nearly 1000 years, though the remarkable structure that exists today was not constructed until the 16^th century.  The Red Fort of Agra was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1983.

Agra Fort’s current incarnation was begun in 1565 by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar,  though it has been added to by others over the years.  Enclosed by more than a mile-and-a-half of sturdy walls and a moat, only two gates allow entrance into the fort, one of which is now closed to visitors.  Inside is a mini-city of red sandstone and marble – what was once the Imperial city of the Mughals.

Some of these structures consist of the Jahangir Palace and two other palaces, the Khas Mahal and the Shish Mahal.  Two grand audience halls also reside there, the Diwan-i-Khas and the Diwan-i-Am.  Two great mosques, the Moti Masjid and the Nagina Masjid, were added to the complex during the mid 17^th and early 18^th centuries.

The Red Fort of Agra is but one of many grand monuments left behind by the Mughals, a beautiful testament to their time as rulers of India.  It is one of the most striking examples of the Mughal artistic and architectural styles which had much of their  origins in the Persian traditions.