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However,
the city is said
to be founded in
1475 during the
reign of Raja Badal
Singh. Mughal monarchs
transformed the
land into one of
the great centres
of art, culture,
learning and commerce.
Massive monuments,
majestic buildings
and still flourishing
arts and crafts
including leatherwork
and pietra dura
marble-inlay work
along with delicious
Mughal cuisine have
now become an inseparable
part or more, the
identity of the
city.
Besides Taj, many
other magnificent
monuments are a
testimony to the
zenith and golden
period of the Mughal
architecture. There
is Agra Fort and
Itmad-ud-daulah
that are gems of
Mughal architectural
style. Babur laid
out the first formal
Persian garden here
on the banks of
the River Yamuna.
Sikandra, just outside
Agra, is the beautiful
garden mausoleum
of Akbar. Hardly,
any tourists go
back from India
without visiting
Agra, if only for
the seventh wonder,
Taj Mahal.
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The
Taj Mahal
Shahjahan
built Taj Mahal
in memory of his
beloved wife, Mumtaz
Mahal, who died
giving birth to
their 14th child.
The most extravagant
monument yet built
for the love's sake,
pure white marble
Taj stands serenely
on a raised marble
platform, on the
shores of River
Yamuna. The construction
of the Taj commenced
in 1631, and was
completed in 1653.
Workers were gathered
from all over the
country and from
Central Asia, and
about 20,000 people
were recruited along
with the main architect
was Isa Khan, who
was brought all
the way from Shiraz
in Iran.
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Itmad-ud-Daulah
Itmad-ud-daulah
is the tomb of Mirza
Ghiyas Beg, Emperor
Jehangir's father
- in- law. Standing
in the centre of
a luxurious Persian
garden, it is an
architectural jewel
of its times. This
fabulous garden
tomb is believed
to be the precursor
of the superlative
Taj Mahal, and was
the first Mughal
structure, all in
marble, and the
first, again, to
make use of pietra
dura, the inlay
marble work that
came to be typical
of the Taj. The
structure was built
by Empress Noorjehan,
between 1622 and
1628 and is very
similar to the tomb
she constructed
for her husband,
near Lahore in Pakistan.
Agra
Fort
Built
by three generations
of mighty Mughal
emperors, the construction
of Agra Fort began
in 1565, under Akbar,
and continued till
the time of Shahjahan.
Huge double walls,
four gateways, palaces,
courts, mosques,
baths, gardens and
gracious pavilions
adorn the premises
of the fort. Diwan
- i - Am, Diwan
- i - Khas, Khas
Mahal, Palace of
Mirrors, Pearl Mosque,
Nagina Masjid, Garden
of Grapes, and Fish
Pavilion are some
of the remarkable
monuments in the
fort complex. The
red sandstone Jehangiri
Mahal was built
by Akbar for his
Hindu queen, Jodhabai
and is one of the
earliest constructions
that witnessed the
transformation of
fort from a military
structure to a palace.
The palace is an
example of an eclactic
mix of Hindu and
central Asian architectural
styles.
Sikandra
10
km from the city
centre of Agra,
the construction
of the mausoleum
of Akbar was started
by Akbar himself.
It is a perfect
amalgamation of
Hindu, Christian,
Islamic, Buddhist,
Jain architectural
styles. His son
Jehangir completed
it and also did
many modifications
in the original
plan of the building.
Named after Sikander
Lodhi, the tomb
has three-storey-minarets
on its four corners.
These minarets are
built in red sandstone
with stunning inlay
work of marble.
Fatehpur
Sikri
40
km from Agra, the
city of Fatehpur
Sikri served as
the capital of the
Mughal Empire between
1570 and 1586. According
to the legend, Emperor
Akbar was without
a male heir, and
was granted one
by the blessings
of the Sufi saint
Sheikh Salim Chisti.
In honor of the
saint, Akbar named
the prince Salim,
and decided to found
a new city to celebrate
his birth. The finest
monuments within
this area are the
Diwan - i - Am,
Diwan - i - Khas,
Panch Mahal, Jama
Masjid, Panch Mahal,
Buland Darwaza and
the tomb of Saint
Sheikh Salim Chisti.
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