and architecturally beautiful tombs in the world, one of the masterpieces of Indian Muslim architecture, and one of the great sites of the world's heritage.
The Taj has a life of its own that leaps out of marble, provided you understand that it is a monument of love. The Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore called it "a teardrop on the cheek of eternity", while the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, said it was "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones." It is a celebration of woman built in marble and that’s the way to appreciate it.
Agra Fort - The fort is similar in layout to the Red Fort in Delhi, but considerably
better preserved, as much of Delhi Fort was razed by the British after the Mutiny. As
much as palace as a defensive structure, it is also constructed mainly from red
sandstone.
Emperor Akbar, king at 14, began consolidating his empire and, as an assertion of
his power built the fort in Agra between 1565 and 1571, at the same time as
Humayun's Tomb in Delhi. Emperor Shah Jahan added to the fort and ended up a
prisoner in it. The fort has a beautiful view of his masterpiece, the Taj Mahal, on a
clear day.
Akbar's Tomb - Sikandra (10 km north of Agra on the Agra Delhi highway). The tomb of Akbar lies here in the centre of the large garden. Akbar started its construction himself but it was completed by his son, Jehangir who significantly modified the original plans which accounts for the somewhat cluttered architectural lines of the tomb. Four red sandstone's gates lead to the tomb complex: one is Muslim, one Hindu, one christian and one is Akbar's patent mixture. Akbar's mausoleum is open from sunrise to sunset.
Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb -. Empress Nur Jehan built Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb, sometimes called the Baby Taj, for her father, Ghias-ud-Din Beg, the Chief Minister of Emperor Jahangir. Small in comparison to many other Mughal-era tombs, it is sometimes described as a jewel box. Its garden layout and use of white marble, pietra dura, inlay designs and latticework presage many elements of the Taj Mahal.
Mariam's Tomb - west from Akbar's Tomb on Agra-Delhi highway. Constructed by Jahangir in the memory of his mother Mariam Zammani a title bestowed upon her,. The grave is made of white marble. Though this building is in a ruined condition, yet it has in its vicinity, a Christian Mission School and a church. It is also said; Akbar himself made that it in the memory of his Christian wife.
Jama Masjid - A large mosque attributed to Princess Jahanara Begum, built in 1648 during the reign of the father Shah Jahan. Notable for its unusual dome and absence of minarets.
Chini Ka Rauza - A memorial dedicated to the Prime Minister of Shah Jahan, Allama Afzel Khal Mullah Shukrullah of Shiraz, notable for its dome of blue glazed tiles.
Fatehpur Sikri - The Mughal Emperor Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri about 35 km
from Agra, and moved his capital there. Later abandoned, the site displays a number
of buildings of significant historical importance. A World Heritage Site, it is often
visited by tourists to Agra.
