Junaid Alam

Agra,it is situated on the banks of holy river Yamuna in India.Agra is the third largest city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India,here many amazing Mughal monuments can be found.

Monuments in Agra:

Birbal's Palace:
Raja Birbal (1528-1586) was a courtier in the administration of the Mughal emperor Akbar and one of his most trusted members along with being a part of Akbar's inner council of nine advisors, known as the 'navaratana', a Sanskrit word meaning 'nine jewels'. Birbal's duties in Akbar's court were mostly military and administrative but he was also a very close friend of the king, who liked Birbal most for his wit as well as his wisdom, Birbal’s Palace, also known as Northern Palace of the Haram Sara is an integral part of the Imperial Harem in Fatehpur Sikri.

Buland Darwaza:
The Buland Darwaza is a grand gateway located in Fatehpur Sikri near Agra. This triumphal arch was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, when he defeated the king of Khandesh or Gujarat in 1573.


Diwan-I-Am:
This hall was also used for celebrations and public prayers. Beautiful jali screen on either sides separated the ladies attending the court.The importance of Diwan-I-Am is unquestionably connected with the importance of the Agra Fort. The powerful fortress encloses Agra, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers with its famous and exquisite buildings.


Diwan-askhana-I-khas:
To the right is an apparently looking two storeyed building, with corner kiosks, known as diwan-khana-I-khaas or Hall Of Private Audience. On entering it, one finds only a single vaulted chamber. In the centre stands a profusely carved column supporting a collosal-bracketed capital.


Sunehra Makan:
Sunehra Makan (Golden House), the palace of Akbar’s Christian wife, Maryam, is situated close to the palace of Jodh Bai in Fatehpur Sikri in Agra District. The palace gets the name ‘golden house’ because of the golden paint on the faded murals.


The Jami Masjid:
In the inner courtyard on the east is Shah Jahan’s mosque or Jami masjid, another white marble mosque. of all the monuments within the dargah complex, Shah Jahan’s masjid is needed the most spectacular. This 45m long mosque with 11 arches bears Persian inscriptions under its eaves and is surrounded on three sides by an intricately carved balustrade. The arches are not true arches but merely curved brackets meeting in the centre to hold up the ceiling.

The Treasury:
To the left of the Diwan-I-Khaas is the Treasury or Ankh Michauli, once believed to have been used for playing the game, comprising three rooms each protected by a narrow corridor which were manned by guards.

Hawa Mahal And Nagina Masjid:
Nagina Masjid's architecture is very simple with less decoration. The mosque is divided into three bays by simple pillars supporting the pointed arches above. Nagina Masjid is located at the Northern side of Harem Sara, near the viaduct connecting Hiran Minar.

Turkish Sultana's House:
Though some people suggest that this building near Anup Talao was the home of two turkish queens of Akbar called Salima Sultan Begum and Ruqayya Begum, Turkish Sultana's House is too small for being a residential building. It is more probably the 'Hujra-I-Anup Talao, mentioned by Badauni, a pleasure pavilion attached to the pond and might have been used by the Turkish queens for this purpose. The pavilion has square piers. It is connected to the ground floor of the Khwabgah complex through a colonnaded verandah and has a portico in the west. Both the verandah and portico has a stone screen with latticework.


Palace of Jodha Bai:
Jodha Bai Palace is a blend of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles which you can see in columns and cupolas. When you enter inside the palace, the Hawa Mahal a projecting room will fascinate you with its fabulous stone lattice work. During Mughal period, this palace was used by the ladies of the court to keep a quiet eye on events below

Dargah Of Sheikh Salim Chisti:
Salim Chisti was a greatly revered Sufi during Mughal Period. The Mughal Emperor Akbar came to the his camp, deep in the desert, seeking a male heir to his throne. Salim Chisti blessed Akbar, and soon the first of three sons was born to him. He named his first son Salim (later emperor Jahangir) in honor of Salim Chisti. Akbar held the Sufi in such high regard that he had a great city Fatehpur Sikri built around the Sufi Saint's camp.