Agra Fort

The fort has a semicircular plan, its chord lying parallel to the river. Its walls are seventy feet high. Double ramparts have massive circular bastions are regular intervals as also battlements, embrasures, machicolations and string courses. Four gates were provided on its four sides, one Khizri gate opening on to the river.

Two of the fort's gates are notable: the "Delhi Gate" and the "Lahore Gate." The Lahore Gate is also popularly also known as the Amar Singh Gate, for Amar Singh Rathore.

The monumental Delhi Gate, which faces the city on the western side of the fort, is considered the grandest of the four gates and a masterpiece of Akbar's time. It was built circa 1568 both to enhance security and as the king's formal gate, and includes features related to both. It is embellished with inlay work in white marble, proof to the richness and power of the Great Mughals. A wooden drawbridge was used to cross the moat and reach the gate from the mainland; inside, an inner gateway called Hathi Pol ("Elephant Gate") - guarded by two life-sized stone elephants with their riders - added another layer of security. The drawbridge, slight ascent, and 90-degree turn between the outer and inner gates make the entrance impregnable. During a siege, attackers would employ elephants to crush a fort's gates. Without a level, straight run-up to gather speed, however, something prevented by this layout, elephants are ineffective.

Because the Indian military (the Parachute Brigade in particular) is still using the northern portion of the Agra Fort, the Delhi Gate cannot be used by the public. Tourists enter via the Lahore Gate, so named because it faces Lahore, now in Pakistan.

The site is very important in terms of architectural history. Abul Fazal recorded that five hundred buildings in the beautiful designs of Bengal and Gujarat were built in the fort. Some of them were demolished to make way for his white marble palaces. Most of the others were destroyed by the British between 1803 and 1862 for raising barracks. Hardly thirty Mughal buildings have survived on the south-eastern side, facing the river. Of these, the Delhi Gate and Akbar Gate and one palace - "Bengali Mahal" - are representative Akbari buildings.

Akbar Darwazza (Akbar Gate) was renamed Amar Singh Gate by the British. The gate is similar in design to the Delhi Gate. Both are built of red sandstone.

The Bengali Mahal is also built of red sandstone and is now split into Akbari Mahal and Jahangiri mahal.

Interior view of facade and drum wall

Amar Singh Gate

The southern gateway or the Amar Singh Gate was originally known as 'Akbar Darwaza' and was reserved for Mughal emperor Akbar and his personal entourage.

The gate shares architectural traits with the Delhi Gate such as having a drawbridge over the moat, dangerous diversions at the entrance and a high ramp paved with bricks. There are two octagonal towers on its either side. The most imposing structure here is the Naubat Khana surrounded by pillared pavilions. The bastions are not very impressive and it not as profusely decorated as some of the other structures in the fort. Yet, the oblong and arched panels in the lower portions are adorned with multi-colored glazed tiles, mainly in yellow, green, blue and white colors. Panels on the upper portion are plain.

arch details

the hall of Public Audience

This hall is housed a large rectangular open court. In fact this is the largest open court you can found inside the Agra Fort. At the opposite ends of its border are two arched gateways giving access to the court.



The residential quarters of the royal women surround this garden. Most of the residential chambers have a door, window or a balcony overlooking the garden.