Agra is one of the most famous places of the world because of the presence of first wonder of world called 'Taj Mahal'. But,
Taj Mahal is not alone which makes Agra famous, there is a one more building which is witness of birth and establishment of Agra and is existing till today to be the witness of its development and that is Agra Fort.
Agra Fort, which is semi-circular in shape and lies on the right bank of the river Yamuna. The Mughal Emperor Akbar started the building of the Agra Fort in the year 1565. However, structures were incorporated until the reign of his grandson Shah Jahan. One of the exquisite features of this fort is its double wall made up of red sandstone (which gives it the name Red Fort). The external wall rises to a height of about 40 feet while the inner wall has a height of 70 feet. A wide and deep moat encircles the fort. The fort constitutes battlements with towers and bastions at calculated intervals. Two of the bastions, onlooking the river Yamuna, are known as the Shah Burj and the Bengali Burj. There are four gateways, namely the Delhi Gate on the western side, which constitutes the chief entrance to the fort, the Amar Singh Gate or Akbar Darwazah on the southern part (nowadays, visitors enter the fort through this gate), the Jal Darwazah or Water Gate, a gate exclusively meant for the women and the fourth gateway facing the northeastern side. Various structures within the Agra fort include the Akbari Mahal, the Anguri Bagh, the Diwan-i-am, the Diwan-e-khas, the Jehangiri Mahal, the Khas Mahal, the Machchhi Bhawan, the Mayura Mandapa, the Mina Masjid, the Moti Masjid, the Musamman Buri, the Nagina Masjid and the Shish Mahal. Each structure is beautifully carved to serve its respective purpose. Then there is the Sikandra, the mausoleum of emperor Akbar started by Akbar himself, and was completed by Jahangir in the year 1613. The architectural style perfectly blends Hindu, Islamic, Christian, Buddhist and Jain design and themes and is an apt manifestation of Akbar's religious broadmindedness.
