Agra Touring

Fort Agra built in red  sandstone - 69 foot high wall

Moat surrounding Agra Fort

Amar Singh Gate

Musamman Burji - octagonal tower with a balcony facing the Taj Mahal

Jahangir Palace

Background information on Fort Agra

Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience) - was used to speak to the people and listen to petitioners 

Please don't feed the squirrels! Three-Striped Palm Squirrel

Palace inside the Fort - Constructed with Marble and Red Sandstone

Mosque that Muslims visit within the walls of the Fort - Constructed in Marble

Anguri Bagh (Grape Garden) 85 square, geometrically arranged gardens.  Due to extremely hot weather, no flowers or plants were in bloom.

White Marble Palace

Explanation for photo below

We had a tour of the Agra Fort, built around 16th century (began in 1565) by various rulers of the Mughal Dynasty. This fort was originally built as a brick fort about 1089. We learned about the powerful impact that the Mughal Dynasty left on India. In addition to the amazing architecture, there were also some really cool stories about deception and intrigue within the Muslim families. Although he was a Muslim, Mughal leader Babur followed his own interpretation of the Quran in various ways. He drank excessively at his famously lavish feasts, and also enjoyed smoking hashish. Another colorful character was Aurangzeb. He seized the throne and had all of his brothers executed after a power struggle in 1658. At the time, his dad, Shah Jahan, was still alive, but Aurangzeb had his sickly father confined to the Fort at Agra. Shah Jahan spent his last years gazing out at the Taj Mahal from his marble palace "prison" and died in 1666. Pretty nice family, huh? This could have been an awesome reality TV program.