- Akbar made Agra his capital due to its central location and had the existing Lodhi-era fort rebuilt in red sandstone over 8 years, completing it in 1573 with 4,000 daily workers. - The fort contains many historic palaces and structures built by Akbar and his successors, including the Akbari Mahal, Baoli stepped well, Diwan-i-Khas and Khas Mahal. - Further additions were made by Shah Jahan, including the marble Moti Masjid, Nagina Masjid, and his own palace near the Anguri Bagh garden.

1. -Contribution of Akbar and his successors .
GROUP -2

2.  Due to central location of Agra, Akbar made
this as his capital.
 Akbar’s historian, Abdul Fazal, recorded that
this was a brick fort known as
‘Badalgarh’,built by the Lodhis. It was in a
ruined condition and Akbar had it rebuilt with
red sandstone from Barauli area in Rajasthan.
 Some 4,000 builders worked on it daily for
eight years, completing it in 1573.

4.  AKBARI MAHAL
 AKBAR’S BAOLI
 JAHANGIR MAHAL
 TAH KHANA
 SHAHI HAMMAM
 MINA BAZAR

5.  TAKH-I-JAHANGIRI(THRONE)

6.  DIWAN-I-KHAS
 KHAS MAHAL
 GOLDEN PAVILLIONS
 MACHCHI BHAWAN
 MINA MASJID
 SHAH JAHAN’S APARTMENT
 ANGURI BAGH
 MUSSAMAN BURJ
 PACHISI COURT
 MARBLETHRONE
 NAGINA MASJID
 SHISH MAHAL
 MOTI MASJID

7.  AMAR SINGH GATE
 CHITTOR GATE
 DELHI GATE
 SHAH JAHANI GATE
 GHAZNI GATE

9.  The southern gateway or the ‘Amar Singh
Gate’ was originally known as 'Akbar
Darwaza’.
 The gate shares architectural traits with the
Delhi Gate such as having a drawbridge over
the moat, dangerous diversions at the
entrance and a high ramp paved with bricks.
 It is flanked by two bastions.

10.  After entering the southern
gate , one faces a tall multi
storied gate of red sandstone
on the eastern side.
 It has a small pointed arch
entrance. The gate is built over
a high plinth with a rectangular
small platform supported on
stone brackets.
 The arch is outline by white
marble inlay work of
geometrical design.

11.  There is a wide stone
approach with strips .
 This double gate with
interior platform on both
sides and double arches as
the typical features of
Shah Jahan’s monuments.
 The facade of the gate has
series of deep rectangular
blind niches.The top is
covered with rectangular
large panels flanked by
solid turrets and crowned
by tall stone finials.

12.  This impressive gate is
pierced in the western
wall of the machhi
bahwan .
 Originally this fine gate
was meant for the private
approach of ladies to this
place.
 Now, it is provided with
bronze chittor gates,
brought from Hill Fort of
Chittorgarh as a trophy
by emperor Akbar who
captured the fort in 1568.

14.  The Delhi gate was the principal gateway of the
fort and hence it was designed most
monumentally.The gate was served as the
‘Naubat Khana’ where ceremonial music was
played at fixed timings.
 The bastions are octagonal in plan and double
storied and are crowned by a ‘chhatri’ each.
 The bastions are beautifully designed and
ornamented with colored marble inlay work.
 Beautifully designed ‘jaalis’ have been used on
the balustrade of the balconies.

15.  The gate belonged
to the mausoleum
of Mahmud as is
evident from Arabic
Kufic inscription.
 The arch is designed
purely on Islamic
pattern.

17.  It is situated at the southeast corner at the
northern alignment of Jahangiri Mahal in Agra
fort, overlooking the river are the remains of the
Akbari Mahal.
 This is the oldest building of the fort, being
contemporary to the stepped well ‘baoli’ and the
rampart walls.
 The portico opened in the spacious rectangular
courtyard paved with red sandstone slabs.
 The courtyard was surrounded by large living
rooms and a double storied pavilion.

19.  These were the stepped wells meant for the
supply of water and were also used as retreats
for the inmates from the heat of summer.
 It is located near Bengali burj.
 It was purely utilitarian with shaft size of the well
being 8m in diameter and 25 m in depth.
 For convenience a stairway leaves down to the
water level.

21.  The mahal was the principal zenana(palace
for women belonging to the royal
household,mainly used by the rajput wives of
akbar.It is a blend of hindu and persian
architecture.
 Most striking aspect of the building is the
exquisite surface ornamentation including
marble inlay and intricate geometric and
floralThe large facade of the palace is most
remarkable for its projecting portico whose
lotus parapet is decorated with beautiful
merlon in relief, patterns.

22.  Rectangular opening with carved panels and
projecting balconies supported on circular
pillars, elegant brackets with Bengal slanting
roofs on both sides of the deep pointed shapely
arch where decoration with marble lined niches
and six pointed stars.
 The upper parts of the beautifully carved
brackets are decorated with parrots and other
birds.
 The upper storey is composed a of series of fine
arches, central projecting balcony and
overshadowed by chajjas or eaves.

23.  This circular bowl-shaped
monolithic tank (hauz) is
5 feet high, 8 feet in
diameter and 25 feet in
circumference at the rim.
 It has stairs on the
internal and external
sides.
 It is curved out of a single
stone and was used as a
container for fragrant
rose water.

24.  Mina bazar is a female handicraft market in
agra fort in Akbar’s reign .
 This is called fancy bazar where the royal
ladies of the mughal nobility displayed and
sold their goods particularly, gems , jewellery,
embroidered clothes.
 It is said that Emperor Jahangir liked Mehrun
Nisa ,later Noor Jahan Begum in this market
who later became the most powerful and
favorite queen of Jahangir’s empire.

26.  Black throne of Jahangir
 Prince Salim rebelled against
his father Akbar in 1602 and
made his seat of official
activities at Allahabad .
 He got this throne made of
black touch stone.
 After his accession Jahangir
brought it at Agra and placed it
on the terrace of Diwan-I-Khas.
 The throne is very black and
shiny.This monolithic throne is
3.3m long and 2.8 m broad.

29.  The Diwan-i-Aam or Hall of Public Audience originally
consisted of a square courtyard surrounded by
colonnades and the hall on the eastern side.
 Its façade is formed of an arcade of 9 cusp arches
with double pillars between each arch and a group of
4 at each corner, thus making 40 pillars in all.
 Although the structure is sandstone, it was probably
originally covered with an overlay of shell plaster,
ivory polished, the technical procedure carried out by
artisans from Rajputana region.

30.  It is present in the east wall
of Diwan-i-Aam.
 It is richly ornamented by
inlaid colorful marble with a
trefoil arched ornate
façade.
 The arch is finely decorated
with pietra dura works.

31.  Diwan-i-Khas or Hall of Private Audience was
used by the emperor for the reception of
important guests .
 Constructed in 1635, it had two halls and the
interior hall was known asTambi khana.
 Open on three sides, one can enter it through
five arched openings supported on double
columns.
 It had no chhatris over the parapet.
 The inner hall has beautiful jhalis, gracefully
designed and finished with floral patterns

32.  Emperor Shah Jahan has suspended a golden
chain of justice for listening to the grievances
of the people for providing justice in the hall .

33.  Shah Jahan constructed the Khas Mahal which
was called ‘Aramgah-I-Mualla’ (the exalted place
of rest).
 The building comprises open terraces and a hall,
flanked by a pavilion on either side serving as
partitions.
 The structure is erected on a sufficiently
elevated platform paved with marble.
 It is the royal pace of the emperor,splendidly set
the harem complex which includes curtain walls
elegant tanks ,fountains and a water fall.

34.  The main palace consists of a
central hall with alcoves and
rooms on sides and a large
’dalan’.
 On its front facing an open
platform with tank and
fountains overlooking the
garden ,now called the ’Anguri
bagh’.
 It has a delightful setting
,reflecting the fine aesthetic
sense of Shah Jahan.

36.  On the either side of Khas
Mahal is an oblong pavilion
with bangla roofs and curvrd
‘chhajjas’.
 The pavilions are constructed
of red sandstone which were
exquisitely plastered over with
marble and shell plaster,shining
like white marble.
 The pavilions are fancifully
,though wrongly called Jahan
Ara and Roshan Ara
appartments.
 These pavilions are divided into
vertical sections each one
bearing a trefoil arch .

37.  The large rectangular court measuring about 67.6m by 52m in
front of the khas mahal is the garden laid out in the Char Bagh
pattern with small hexagonal grids of red sandstone, now
called Anguri Bagh.
 Most probably grapes were grown in this garden which gave
the present name. At the center of the garden there is a small
water tank with a fountain.
 It is persian influence.

38.  It is a marble balcony
stands at the back of
Diwan-i-Am, has spacious
court with a series of flat
roofed chambers enclosed
in front by arcades of Indo
–Islamic styles.
 Originally the court was
adorned with marble tanks
and fountains in which gold
and silver fish were kept
which provided
amusement for emperor.
 Its upper floor is on a level
with Diwan-I-Khas and the
Nagina Masjid.

39.  This small mosque was built in white marble
by Shah Jahan for the use of his own and his
selected royal ladies.
 It is situated in the southwest of the Diwan-I-
Khas and to the south of Machhi Bhawan.
 Built in marble , it has a small open court in
front of three arched prayer chamber.

40.  The royal apartments of Shah Jahan are situated
to the south of the white marble Khas Mahal set
transitionally between the two major residential
complexes of two different periods.
 The interior constructed in Lakhauri bricks and
sandstone veneering with white stuccoed in fine
lime plaster which is colorfully painted with
vegetal motifs.
 The entire palace originally glittered like white
marble.

42.  It is an octagonal tower standing close to the Shah
Jahan's private hall Diwan-e-Khas.
 Shah Jahan was imprisoned in the Mussamman Burj
by his son Aurangzeb, and spent his final years in this
tower, looking out across theYamuna river to his
beloved Mumtaz laid to rest in theTaj Mahal.
 The Musamman Burj is made of delicate marble
lattices with ornamental niches so that the ladies of
the court could gaze out unseen.The decoration of
the walls is pietra dura.The chamber has a marble
dome on top and is surrounded by a verandah with a
beautiful carved fountain in the center.
 The dome is gilded in gold on copper sheets.

43.  It is situated to the lower storey of Musamman Burj , measuring 13.5 m
by 10 m paved with marble octagon representing the pattern similar
to a ‘pachisi board’ or Indian backgammon.
 It is an ornamental cover for the drains below .It drains water out of
the palace.
 All sides are enclosed by superb marble screens exquisite in geometric
design through which royal ladies might have viewed the sports of
elephant fights etc..

44.  Rectangular in shape, this
white marble throne is
remarkable for construction
and its history.
 The large slab is supported
on four marble legs carved
out of a single block and
stands on a white marble
slab measuring 15 inches .
 A wooden bejeweled throne
was placed over this marble
slab and occupied by the
Emperor during summer.

45.  The beautiful small mosque is
situated at the north west corner of
the Machhi Bhawan at the level of
Diwan-I-Khas overlooking the large
court of the Diwan-I-Am.
 It was built in 1635-36.
 This rectangular prayer chamber is
two bay deep with three arched
opening in the façade.
 The chajja protecting the façade is
curved in the midle above the central
arch and parapet(including the
bengali influence).
 The structure is surmounted by three
bulbous Mughal domes crowned by
lotus petal and ‘kalash’ with metallic
finials.

46.  It is built on an elevated ground sloping from west to
east just in front of the north gateways of Diwan-I-
Khas.
 The structure is externally made of red sandstone but
the entire interior is finished with white marble.
 It is a single quadrangle mosque within a central
courtyard .The arcaded cloisters on the
northern,eastern,southern sides with a beautiful
gateway .The cloisters are built with typically Shah
Jahani pillars and engrailed arches.
 There are octagonal towers attached to the corners
which are surmounted by corresponding ‘chattris’.
 The mosque have the main entrance on the river side.

48.  To the north east corner of the court in the lower storey is
situated the illustrious building ’Shish Mahal’(palace of mirror)
which is so named because of the fine profuse embellishment
of mirror on the arches, walls and the ceilings with irregular
geometric and floral patterns in thick stucco relief work
covering the walls and ceilings.
 This creates a picturesque scene when lighted with candle.
 It was constructed in 1637 and served as the luxurious bath of
the Khas Mahal.
 The bath comprises of two chambers ;the inner chamber has
apsidal ends and a marble tank with a fountain and the second
chamber also has similar tank.
 The glass mosiac consist of stucco relief in the form of
‘guldasta’ with natural leaves and flowers emitting
magnificently out of the typically indian ‘kalasha’ which
produces a gorgeously superb effect.

50.  World Heritage Series-AGRA FORT
(ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA)