The Red Fort

As with many other buildings built by the Mughals, the red fort also started out to serve a purpose but ended up serving the Mughals in a different way. The red fort was built primarily for military reasons by Akbar in 1565. It was then converted into a palace by Shah Jahan. The red fort went on to have a lot more additions built in by Shah Jahan's grandsons during their respective reigns. The additional monuments credited to this fort are many but it is basically characterised by 20 ft high walls. Within these high imposing walls you feel you have entered a city within the fort.


The Diwan – e – Am and the Diwan- e – Khas are without doubt the structures that were used completely by the Mughal emperors. The Diwane – e –Am was used as the hearing hall where the emperor listened to the woes and worries of his people and the people found solutions to their problems. This structure originally made of wood but then later converted to it's present form by Shah Jahan has clear indications of the emperor's oh-so-obvious style of architecture complete with floral motifs and carvings. Interestingly this hall of public hearing gives way to the Nagina mosque and the ladies bazaar. This was a one-of-it's kind bazaar where only ladies were allowed to sell their goods to the Moghul royalty way back then. The Diwan – e- Khas encompasses the hall of private audience. It is here that the famed peacock throne was placed.


With the Diwane – e- Khas described it is now time for the octagonal tower. This tower has a sad story to say. It witnessed Shah Jahan spend the last seven years of his life imprisoned by his son here. It also is supposed to have given the imprisoned emperor an excellent view of the Taj Mahal during his last few days. Shah Jahan also had a palace built for his son Jehangir within this very same fort and it is rightly called the Jehangir Palace. The Mina-Masjid and the Moti – Masjid are also housed within this fort.

Among the rest of the structures within this fort are the Machhi Bhawan (fish enclosure), Sheesh Mahal which is completely made of glass and was meant to be a dressing room with little mirrors lining the walls, Jehangir Mahal being one of the few buildings with a Hindu architecture inkling in it, Angora Baugh the well kept geometric gardens, Golden Pavilions built basically for Shah Jahan's daughters and the Mussman Burj where the great emperor Shah Jahan breathed his last.