What to see?

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Taj Mahal
Beyond any words, beyond any comparison, and beyond any definition... this is the most beautiful building in the world and a striking example of the fact that even a massive and majestic structure can be feminine and delicate!

One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, this well balanced, perfectly proportioned and amazingly serene, mausoleum is worth seeing and photographed from every nook and corner. Surrounded by high walls on three sides, and the river Yamuna on its back, the Taj has beautiful landscaped gardens on the front. It took 20,000 workers from far and near, and 22 years from 1630-1652 AD to construct this incredible marble wonder. The monument is the finest piece of Mughal architecture and a wonderful example of symmetry and conceptualization. The most notable feature of the monument is the exquisite pietra dure work - the art of inlaying semi-precious stones in marble.

The Taj Mahal's raison d'etre - the undying love and grief of an emperor for his departed wife - makes it the most extravagant monument ever built for love. Inside the tomb lie the graves of Emperor Shah Jahan and his beloved Mumtaz Mahal. Interestingly, Shah Jahan also intended to make a tomb for himself - an exact replica of the Taj in black marble - on the opposite bank of the Yamuna. The foundations are still there, but his dream was never fulfilled.

To truly enjoy the beauty of this iridescent dream in marble, you should visit it at different times of the day. In particular, the Taj looks stunningly magnificent under the full moon light. For more information, please view our special section on the Taj Mahal.
Agra Fort
Built between 1565-1573 by the greatest of the Mughal emperors, Akbar, the fort is located on the bend of the Yamuna river, almost in the center of the city. Originally constructed for military purposes, this majestic red sandstone fort, over a period of time, became an ornamental and luxurious palace. Successive emperors, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, made noteworthy additions to this mighty citadel which has beautiful chambers, halls of audience, ornamental bathing house, the exquisite Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque), Machchhi Bhawan (palace with fish tanks), and also... reach for your decanter... an excellent vineyard.

It was in this fort's Mausamman Burj that Shah Jahan died in captivity, gazing at his creation - the Taj Mahal.
Itmad-ud-Daulah
Across the Yamuna is this tomb built by Empress Noor Jahan, between 1622 and 1628, in memory of her father. A forerunner to the Taj Mahal, it is a square marble building with four corner towers and a canopy-shaped roof. Itimad-ud-Daulah was not only the first Mughal structure to be built entirely from marble, but also the first one to make extensive use of pietre dure marble inlay work. The workmanship is extremely fine, almost like lace, and many ardent admirers feel that it as beautiful as the Taj.
Sikandra
Located outside Agra towards Delhi, the place was originally constructed by Sikandar Lodi in 1492. Akbar later selected this place for his tomb. Completed in 1613, the monument is a rare combination of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles. The four storied building, approximately 31 meters high, has the first three floors in red sandstone, and the fourth entirely in marble.
Dayal Bagh
Mostly ignored by the tourists in rush, it is often said that this white marble temple of the Radha Soami religion will rival the Taj Mahal in grandeur and workmanship when it is completed. Under construction since almost a hundred years, it is actually conceived as temple for the supreme creator. The temple has marble facades with beautifully carved details.
Fatehpur Sikri
36 kms. west of Agra, in a perfect state of preservation, lies an emperor's dream of an ideal city Akbar always wanted to construct a city by the dargah (tomb) of the legendary saint Shaikh Salim Chisti, whose blessings Akbar had sought for a son. Entrance to the sprawling red sandstone complex is through a monumental 54 metres high gateway called Bulund Darwaza (Victory Gate), and in the huge courtyard is the superb white marble dargah of Shaikh Salim Chisti with its exquisitely carved lattice screens. Interestingly, the tomb is frequented by childless women even today.

Other things to see include the Palace of Jodhabai (Akbar's Hindu wife), the ornate house of Birbal (the legendary quick-witted courtier), and the Jami Masjid.

Immaculately planned and built, Akbar made it a point to have the architectural elements of all the religions he knew. A grand town and the capital of the Mughal empire for 12 years, Fatehpur Sikri had to be abandoned due to, as the historians tell us, shortage of water.

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