Mughal palace architecture reached its peak with the

construction of the Red Fort at Agra.

Built over many centuries under different regimes, it is
the product of many different architects who each
worked on only a small portion of the whole.
To our eyes, this gives the Red Fort a rather eclectic feel
that is unified only by the ubiquitous red sandstone
that gives the fortress its name.

The Red Fort began its life in the 10th century as a
simple mud and brick fortress along the banks of the
Yamuna river. Under Akbar (1564-1570s) of the Mughal
dynasty it was rebuilt along the lines of its predecessor,
which accounts for its irregular outer walls.
Originally intended as a fortress, the site was partially
converted into a palace during the reign of Shah Jahan,
who lived in the fortress and died there - a prisoner of
his own son.

The residential and defensive portions of the fortress
can be described separately. The outer walls, built
during Akbar's time, are penetrated by two gates,
called the Amar Singh and the Delhi gate respectively.
The Delhi gate, to the west, was originally the main
entrance although the southern gate, the Amar Singh,
is used today. Both gates are sheathed in red sandstone
and consist of an enormous facade flanked by twin
towers. Entry is on the diagonal, and to foil invaders,
visitors were originally forced to negotiate several
right-angled turns before reaching the gate.

The interior of the fortress is largely empty but for a
row of residential dwellings facing the river. Built
during Shah Jahan's time and after, these luxurious
structures drew the resources of an entire empire and
were worked on by craftsman of many different
nationalities. The earliest of these dwellings, the
Jahangiri Mahal, was built by Akbar as a women's
quarters. It is predominantly Hindu in character and
was probably inspired by the Gwalior Man Mandir, a
palace built earlier in the century.






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