Agra

Agra is famous as it is the home for one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Taj Mahal which is being situated here is the main attraction. It is situated on the west bank of Yamuna.. It got its name from Agarbana and is also mentioned in the Mahabharata. Agra is known for its superb inlay work on marble by the craftsmen who are descendents of those who worked under the Mughals. The city was earlier the capital of the Mughal Empire and with their passion for buildings the city is endowed with some of the finest structures in the world. It is popularly referred as the ‘City of the Taj’ and is one of the famous tourist destinations in India.

Places of Attractions

Taj Mahal:
It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World which was built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz and is also popularly called as the Mumtaz Mahal. It is a sheer poetry in marble and is indeed the most extravagant monument ever made for love. It took 20,000 workers who worked for 22 years to complete this white marble wonder. It is situated on the bank of Yamuna and both Mumtaz and Shah Jahan are buried here.

Agra Fort:
This monument was built by Akbar in red sandstone. Later on Jehangir and Shah Jahan made a lot of additions to this wonder. Some of the beautiful buildings within the fort are Moti Masjid, Musamman Burj, Jahangir’s Palace, etc. The fort has four gates and is enclosed by a double barricaded wall of red sandstone.

Jama Masjid:
It is one of the unique mosques which was built by Shah Jahan’s daughter Jehanara Begum. This mosque was built in the year 1648 commemorating sheikh Salim Chishti and his grandson Islam Khan.

Itmad-ud-daulah’s Tomb:
This tomb is set on the opposite bank of the Yamuna from the Taj and was built during the year 1622 – 1628. It is the first Mughal monument which is made out of marble and the first to use Pietra Dura the inlay work on marble. It is one of the main attractions in Agra.