Places to Visit Taj Mahal Agra

Places to Visit Taj Mahal Agra is world-renowned for being the home of the iconic Taj Mahal and while many travelers will make the journey to this Indian city just to marvel at the marble walls and landscaped gardens of the country’s most instantly recognizable sight, there are many more great places to visit in Agra too. After gazing in awe at the spectacular Taj Mahal, stay around in the city for longer to explore the rest of the sites in Agra. This is a city with an incredibly rich history and in Agra, you can find sprawling forts, resplendent tombs and exquisite palaces alongside a vibrant culture, lively markets and excellent cuisine. To help inspire you to venture beyond the Taj Mahal, here are the best places to visit in Agra.

Taj Mahal
When visiting India, Taj Mahal is one of the must-see tourist attractions and Agra is the home to this admirable wonder. In 1983, UNESCO declared Taj Mahal among the 7 wonders of the world. Taj Mahal was built by one of the Mughal emperors named Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1653. The entire monument defines the real meaning of an architectural masterpiece. The most alluring feature of the Taj is the marble dome and the interior chamber that is decorated in a beautiful way with various precious gemstones. Other than the main structure, there is also a 300 sq. m wide garden, known as Mughal garden or Charbagh. Also, a mosque and a guest house are stationed at the end of the complex.

Agra Fort
Also known as Lal Qila or Red Fort, Agra Fort is situated on the banks of Yamuna River in Agra. Agra Fort was initially held by Raja Badal Singh, an Indian Rajput king in 1475 AD. The entire fort is surrounded by a tall fortification wall that has four gates on all the four sides of the fort. The most notable gates among the four are the Delhi Gate and the Lahore Gate. The Delhi Gate is considered the grandest of all four and features some of the most prominent architectural masterpieces of Akbar’s era. These days, the Lahore Gate, also known as Amar Singh Gate is the sole entry point of the fort. According to Abdul Fazl, a court historian of Akbar, 5000 structures were built in the fort in Gujarati and Bengali styles.

Fatehpur Sikri
This was built to honour the Sufi Saint, Sheikh Salim Chisti, who lived in a cavern on the rim at Sikri. Akbar admired him very much and believed that due to his blessings he was gifted with a son named Salim in 1569. In 1571, Akbar shifted his capital from Agra to Sikri and named it as Fatehabad, meaning victorious. Fatehpur Sikri is well known for its collection by the Indian Mughal Empire. The entire city was built with local red sandstones that are also known as Sikri sandstones. The city is bounded on three sides with a fortified 6 km long wall that has seven gates. The city contains several beautiful spots, mosques and halls.

Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for the wish of his beloved daughter Jahanara Begum in 1649 AD and is one of the biggest mosques in India. The structure is built with red sandstones in typical Mughal style. The prayer hall is placed at the western end of the courtyard that includes a long rectangular structure and is divided into five sections. Every dome in the mosque has an inverted lotus and Kalash structure on the top. Along with this, the interiors of the western wall have splendid designs and structures. Every Friday, a huge number of Muslim devotees visit Jama Masjid, making it one of the best places to visit in Agra.

Taj Museum
Built in 1982, the Taj Museum is one of the most popular Museums in Uttar Pradesh. The museum is located at the ground floor of western Naubat Khana. The museum exhibits varied historical Mughal antiquities including pictures, Mughal miniatures, manuscripts, calligraphy, utensils, marble pillars, etc. The main hall showcases a portrait of Shah Jahan with his wife Mumtaz Mahal. There are three galleries in Taj Museum from which the first gallery showcases plans and drawings reflecting the architectural designs of Taj Mahal. The second gallery includes showpieces like Quran stand, stones, bowl, and dishes of celadon ware. Along with these, the gallery also has several arms like swords and daggers. The third and the last gallery showcase two paintings of Taj Mahal by a British Artist and documents like Royal Farman. If you need to visit the best places to see in Agra, Taj Museum should definitely be on your list.

Mehtab Bagh
Set to the north of the Taj Mahal Complex, Mehtab Bagh offers a pleasant view of Taj Mahal along with the lush green Mughal styled garden. Considered to be one of the last eleven Mughal- built gardens, Mehtab Bagh is a 25 acre, square-shaped garden. The garden features several fountains, pools and also considerable pavilions. The best part of the garden is a large pond built on the outer side of the garden that reflects the image of Taj. However, because of the frequent floods, the garden had been ruined, but a few years back, the ASI started some restoration project for securing the beauty of this place. The garden is also known as the moonlight garden as it boasts of a beautiful night view of Taj on a full moon night.

Tomb Of Itimad-ud-Daulah / Baby Taj
Located on the western bank of the Yamuna River near the Yamuna Bridge Railway Station in Agra, the Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah is a Mughal mausoleum. This place being a mini version or a replica of the Taj is believed to be an inspiration for the construction of the Taj and is also known as the Jewel Box or Baby Taj. It has emerged in the top most popular tourist spots to be visited in Agra.
Itimad-ud-Daulah was constructed between 1622 and 1628 by Nur Jahan, the Queen of Jahangir to pay a tribute to her father, Mirza Ghiyas. He was an imperial officer and was recognised with the title of Itmad-ud-Daulah (Pillar of State) by Emperor Jahangir. The tomb was the first monument of India which was completely made with marble, mosaic and lattice which stands as an outstanding illustration of the Mughal architecture

Akbar’s Tomb – Sikandra
Akbar’s Tomb is one of the most visited sites in Agra especially because of its strategic location at Sikandra in the suburbs of Agra, on the Mathura road. It can be classified into a magnum opus of the Mughals. It is a fine piece of architecture possessing the remains of Emperor Akbar which was fabricated in the years starting from 1605 and finally brought out by Jahangir in 1613. The Tomb of Akbar opens up from an elegant southern gateway which is quite the same to Buland Darwaza in Fatehpur Sikri. A huge garden leading to the emperor’s tomb flaunts itself in a Charbagh style. The splendid gateway is exquisitely decked with floral and geometrical patterns inlaid on white and colored marbles.