EXPLORE INDIA: Mughal Forts, Architecture and Palaces

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India is the most favoured destination of world tourists. And the city of Agra is an important holiday target for every person who lands on the land of this country. The city of Agra is full of places with historical connections and cultural importance.

Agra Fort

After you have seen the world-famous Taj Mahal, the next interesting place would be Agra Fort. It is one of the alluring attractions in the city. If tourists visiting India want to know about the Mughal culture and the living style of the people during the fifteenth and seventeenth century, visiting such historical places is very much informative and entertaining, too. They would get the real picture of the same after knowing about places like Agra fort.

This fort is a specimen of the style of architecture used in building castles and palaces in medieval India. It features a mixture of different types of architecture which prevailed in the world then: the Indian, the Islamic, the Persian, and the Turkish. Initially, this fort was built for strategic purposes, as a military base for the army of Emperor Akbar. But subsequently, the fort was used as the official residence of the Mughal Emperors. The city of Agra is approachable by air, motorway and railways. Hotel accommodation in the city of Agra is economical and affordable to every visitor. So when you visit the Taj Mahal, do not forget to visit the Agra Fort.

Jahangiri Mahal (Agra Fort)

Mughal princes and Emperors kept their women mostly away from public exposure. The residences for women were devised to provide them with such privacy. The Jahangiri Mahal is an integral part of the Agra fort. It is one of the buildings where women of royal households resided.

This monument is made of red stones which were available in nearby areas. As the mines of such sandstones were located in central India and Rajasthan, it was easy to use these stones for such big erections. You will find a big gate that would lead to a splendid courtyard and big residential rooms for the queens. On the walls of the courtyard and the rooms, there are stone carvings, witnessing the Persian style of art and architecture.

Watchtower (Agra Fort)

This portion of the fort is designed to be used by security personals. So it is called the watchtower. The internal security of women and children was of paramount interest to the royal families. No one except the authorized person would enter this area without going through the scrutiny of the guards posted on such watchtowers.

Marble Walls and Carvings (Agra Fort)

It was the Mughal style to build palaces using plenty of marble stones. The mines situated in the state of Rajasthan are full of such precious white marble. The inner walls of the room would be full of carvings done on marble stones. Unlike the Taj Mahal, here you would find carvings on simple stones. But the architectural beauty is the same as used in the period where Indian buildings were built by combining Indian style and Persian style of architecture.

Mughal forts are built by the Mughal emperors of India. They ruled India in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.