Agra Fort Tours and Activities

Within a stone’s throw of the Taj Mahal, the 16th-century Agra Fort serves as another testament to the immense wealth and power of the Mughal Empire. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983, the Agra Fort was initially built by Akbar in 1565 on the same site as a previous fort on the banks of the Yamuna River. A succession of a half-dozen other emperors, including Humayun and Shah Jahan, has lived within the red sandstone walls.

While called a fort, the structures enclosed within 1.6 miles (2.5 km) of thick sandstone walls are more akin to a complex of exquisite palaces. Evidence of Shah Jahan’s time spent in the fort can be seen in the white marble structures he erected during his reign, and according to legend, he drew his last breaths on a marble balcony overlooking the Taj Mahal, the monument he built for his late wife.

As you pass through Amar Singh Gate into Agra Fort, you’ll see that the interior houses several smaller palaces, including the Jahangiri Mahal where the royal women lived, and Khas Mahal, where Shah Jahan made his residence. The beautifully worked Mussaman Burj tower was where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son for the last seven years of his life.