Agra Fort is unfortunately overshadowed by the Taj Mahal but should in fact be visited before it, as it's a poignant prequel to the monument. The fort was the first grand Mughal fort in India, from where four generations of influential Mughal emperors ruled during the height of the Mughal empire. In addition, it was one of the first sites in India to get UNESCO World Heritage listing, in 1983.
The fort, in its current form, was constructed by Emperor Akbar in the 16th century when he decided to strategically set up a new capital in Agra. He made it primarily as a military installation. The opulent white marble palaces and mosques were later added by Emperor Shah Jahan, Akbar's grandson, during the 17th century. (He loved white marble so much, he also built the Taj Mahal out of it).
Shah Jahan modeled the Red Fort in Delhi on Agra Fort, when he stated developing his new capital there in 1638. However, he died in Agra Fort after being imprisoned in it by his power-hungry son Aurangzeb, who took over the throne. | milesnsmilesholidays
The British took control of the fort in 1803 and it was a place of battle during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, which threatened the rule of the British East India Company. When the British left India in 1947, they handed the fort over to the Indian government. The Indian Army now uses most of it.
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