Agra Holidays

In the state of Uttar Pradesh, Agra is a medieval city on the banks of the Yamuna River.

Founded by Sultan Sikandar Lodi in 1506, it achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658 and remains a major tourist destination thanks to its many splendid Mughal-era buildings, most notably the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort - both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Agra's dominant structure, the Agra Fort (also called the Red Fort), was built by Emperor Akbar in 1565. The red sandstone fort was renovated and converted into a palace during Shah Jahan's time and reworked extensively with marble and pietra dura inlay. Notable buildings in the fort include the Pearl Mosque, the Diwan-e-Am and Diwan-e-Khas (halls of public and private audience), Jehangir's Palace, Khaas Mahal, Sheesh Mahal (mirrored palace) and Musamman Burj.

An enduring Indian symbol, the elegant structure known as the Taj Mahal was ordered built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. The immense mausoleum has no peer. It took some 20,000 labourers and craftsmen 22 years to build the Taj and it is said that some artisans and workers later had their hands or thumbs amputated, to ensure the perfection of the Taj Mahal could not be replicated anywhere else on earth.