Agra Fort is a massive red sandstone fortress on the bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, about two and a half kilometres from the Taj Mahal. The Mughal emperor Akbar began its construction in 1565 on the site of an older fortress, and the work took roughly eight years. The fort served as the main residence of the Mughal rulers until the capital was moved to Delhi in the seventeenth century. His grandson Shah Jahan replaced many of the red sandstone buildings inside with white marble ones, including the Pearl Mosque. According to tradition, Shah Jahan spent his final years there as a prisoner of his son Aurangzeb, looking out toward the Taj Mahal. The fort became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
Before and after
- 18 February 1564Death of Michelangelo
- 23 February 1564Birth of Christopher Marlowe
- April 1564Birth of William Shakespeare
- 27 May 1564Death of John Calvin
- 1565Construction of Agra Fort
- 1565The Hunters in the Snow
- from 1565 to 1898Spanish–Moro conflict
- 11 March 1565Founding of Rio de Janeiro
- 19 June 1566Birth of James VI and I
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1 January 1519Origins of Reformed Christianity
- 1605Publication of Don Quixote
- 1652Origins of Quakers
- from 1660 to 1725Rise of Classicism
- from c. 1730s to 1780sRise of Rococo
- 1759Construction of British Museum
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 16th century.