History of Agra Fort

Another significant historic creation in India, the construction of the Agra Fort— a red sandstone fort situated on the banks of Yamuna River, was commenced by the great Akbar in the year 1565. Over the years, many changes were made to the fort by one of the later rulers from the Mughal Empire, and grandson of Emperor Akbar: Shah Jahan. The changes were mainly the addition of white marble, and a transformation of the once military structure into a palatial one.

The place has an enigmatic history which draws a lot of tourist attraction, one of which is the fact that the fort became the prison for Mughal ruler Shah Jahan for as long as eight years after his son, Mughal ruler Aurangzeb came into power and claimed the throne.

During the initial stages after the construction of the fort, the waters from river Yamuna flew through the main edges of the structure, giving the emperors ample scope to have their own Ghats here for bathing and rejuvenation purposes.

The fort consisted of a maze of buildings, most of which were demolished by the Marathas, after they came into power. Currently, only a limited part of the structure is available for the public, while the rest remain under strict domain of the military.