The weekend we went to the Taj Mahal, we also stopped by to see the Agra Fort. The fort is known as Lal Qila, Fort Rouge and Red Fort of Agra. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from an Indian fort, but it definitely suprised me and surpassed my expectations!
The Agra Fort is the most important fort in India. Several great Mughal rulers lived here and the country was governed from here. It also contained the largest state treasury and mint. While the fort itself is a World Heritage site, 50,000 Indian Army troops are still in residence there. We didn't see any troops on our tour, so that should give you a good idea of how large this fort is!
The main area of the fort was built over an 8 year period, ending in 1573. The main part of the fort is made of red sandstone. However, as the fort passed from ruling father to ruling son, changes were made. When Shah Jahan took up residence at the fort, he did not like the red sandstone and knocked down several buildings so that he could build new ones of white marble. Shah Jahan was quite a fan of white marble, as he was the ruler who built the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife.
We spent a good amount of time walking around the fort, and by the time we left, the heavy fog that covers Agra each morning in the "winter" had lifted, and we were able to truly enjoy the sites.
