Agra: A tomb, a fort and a forgotten city

It’s considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, with one of the most romantic stories behind it. But the Taj Mahal, an elaborate marble mausoleum, is only one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Agra in India’s state of Uttar Pradesh. Here’s a rundown of Agra’s top three sites:

Taj Mahal

Completed in 1653, the Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child. The mausoleum is perfectly symmetrical, finished in white marble and pietra dura (marble inlaid with semiprecious stones), with verses of the Koran inscribed in black marble. It took 22 years and 22,000 workers to complete.

You can take photos of the Taj Mahal in the surrounding ornamental gardens, but it’s prohibited to take photos (or wear your shoes, unless they’re covered in booties) inside the mausoleum.

Entry Fee: 750 rupees for foreigners (keep your receipt to get a reduction on entry fees to other sites)
Hours: dawn to dusk, Saturday through Thursday

Agra Fort

With its location near the Taj Mahal, this site is sometimes overlooked, though it’s considered one of the best Mughal forts in India. Agra Fort’s red sandstone ramparts tower above the River Yamuna and surround three centuries of palaces and gardens. It’s essentially a city within a city, surrounded by a moat that was once filled with crocodiles.

Entry Fee: 300 rupees for foreigners
Hours: dawn to dusk

Fatehpur Sikri

This ancient fortified city, 40 km west of Agra, was once a famous centre of art and culture where Emperor Akbar held court in the 16th Century. At the time, it was considered an Indo-Islamic masterpiece – today it’s a haunting forgotten city, abandoned shortly after Akbar’s death due to water shortages. It features palaces for each of his three favourite wives: a Muslim, a Hindu and a Christian. But he also had his share of concubines –  the Pachisi Courtyard is where he played a game called pachisi with slave girls.

Entry Fee: 260 rupees for foreigners
Hours: dawn to dusk

I traveled to Agra as part of a traveling book club to India organized by independent bookseller Nicholas Hoare Books in Toronto and arranged by Going Places Together.

Photo Credit @ 2010 VH Media