Agra is famous as being home to one of the seven wonders
of the world-the Taj Mahal. The architectural splendour
of the mausoleums, the fort and the palaces is a vivid
remainder of the mausoleums, the fort and the palaces
is a vivid reminder of the capital in the 16th and
early 17th centuries.
While its significance as a political centre ended with
the transfer of the capital to Delhi in 1634 by Shah
Jahan, its architectural wealth has secured its place
on the international map.
A pleasant town with comparatively slow pace, Agra is
known for its superb inlay work on marble and soastone
by craftsman who are descendant of those who worked
under the Mughals. The city is also famous for its carpets,
gold thread embroidery and leather shoes.
Agra was once the capital of the Mughal empire and even
today it seems to linger in the past . Not surprising
, for the Mughal emperors with their passion for building,
endowed the city with some of the finest structures
in the world . It is very easy to slip away here through
the centuries into the grandeur and intrigues of the
Mughal court .
Agra is an old city and it is said that its name was
derived from Agrabana, a forest that finds mention in
the epic Mahabharata.
In more recent times Agra came into prominence when
Sikandar Lodi made it his capital city in 1501 . The
Lodi rule was to end very soon and Agra passed into
the possession of the Mughals . It was during the time
of the third emperor Akbar that Agra came into its own
.
He embarked on the construction of the massive Agra
Fort in 1565. Though Akbar was diverted into building
a new capital at Fatehpur sikri not far away.
Agra continued to retain its importance and Shah Jehan,
Akbar's garndson ornamented the city with that masterpiece
of Mughal architecture - the Taj Mahal and built several
other beautiful buildings within the Agra fort .
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