Agra is known for its superb inlay work on marble by craftsmen said to be the descendants of those who worked under the Mughals on the Taj when Agra was the capital of the Mughal Empire. The Mughal emperors with their passion for building endowed the city with some of the finest structures in the world.
It is very easy to slip away here through the centuries into the grandeur and intrigues of the Mughal court.
Agra is an old city and it is said that its name was derived from Agrabana, a forest that finds mention in the epic Mahabharata. In more recent times Agra came into prominence when Sikandar Lodhi made it his capital city in 1501. The Lodi rule was to end very soon and Agra passed into the possession of the Mughals. It was during the time of the third emperor Akbar that Agra came into its own. He embarked on the construction of the massive Agra Fort in 1565, though was diverted into building a new capital at Fatehpur Sikri not far away.
Agra continued to retain its importance and Shah Jehan, Akbar's grandson, ornamented the city with that masterpiece of Mughal architecture - the Taj Mahal and built several other beautiful buildings within the Agra fort. Further investigation around Agra reveals many other impressive sights, from the Taj’s precursor, Itmud ud Daula to the Persian-influenced Chini ka Rauza and the city’s Jama Masjid there is much to see.
Outside the city lies the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri, a red sandstone marvel that is in as good a condition now as it was when Akbar abandoned it after only 17 years.
Uttar Pradesh, India
A tomb by the banks of the Yamuna this beautiful memorial was constructed by Afzal Khan, a high official in the court of Shah Jehan. Decorated with glazed tiles on the façade, the structure clearly de...
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Uttar Pradesh, India
A wonderful marble tomb on the opposite bank from the Taj Mahal and constructed by Emperor Jehangir's queen, Nurjahan, for her father Mirza Ghiyas Beg. It took 6 years to build being finished in 1628;...
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Uttar Pradesh, India
Constructed by Shah Jehan's daughter, Jehanara Begum in memory of the famous Sheikh Salim Chishti amd his grandson Islam Khan the city’s Jama Masjid was completed in 1648. Of particular importance is ...
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