The Red Fort

The Red Fort or Lal Quila is a spectacular piece of Mughal architecture and was bulit on the west bank of the river Yamana (now diverted).

It is in the NW corner of Shahjahanabad surrounded by two kilometres of red sandstone walls.

Shah Jahan (1628-58) after reigning for 11 years in Agra transferred the capital back to Delhi and built the Red Fort as his royal residence within Shahjahanabad.

His reign was the golden era of architecture.

The main halls of the palace were draped in rich tapestry and the walls still reveal the delicate, detailed Mughal work despite the thieving efforts of Lord Curzon. Unfortunately

after the Uprising many of the gardens and buildings were demolished.

The British offering was a series of of hideous barracks which unfortunately still stand, perhaps as a reminder of what their did to Shahjahanabad and its people in September 1857. The photo is the Lahore Gate on the west of the Red Fort.