Agra - Part 2 - Agra Red Fort

Like, Delhi, Agra has a "Red Fort" made from red sandstone. The size is difficult to convey -- it's immense. It is really more of a walled city, with the Emperor's palaces occupying a good bit of the acreage. In it's heyday, over 7,000 people lived within the walls of the fort. Parts of the fort are still in active use today.

The Agra Gate -- one of three entrances to the fort.
The gate itself is protected by walls so that invaders did not have a direct path to the entrance.

Here we're standing in front of the pavilion where the emperor held public court.

A shaded overlook off the emperor's apartments. In the background is the Yamuna River.
The emperor could view the Taj Mahal off to the right, also along the Yamuna.
Air quality was so poor that we could barely see the Taj Mahal, even though it's less than 2 km away.

Floral art at the base of a pillar.

This pattern is typical of the stonework throughout the fort. It incorporates symbols from Hindusim (the swastika), Islam (the 6-pointed star), and Christianity (a cross can be seen in the design centered on the 6-pointed star).