Monuments Near Taj Mahal
Agra Fort, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb, Chini Ka Rauza
Construction of this fort started in 1565 and it took eight continuous years with monetary expense of thirty-five lakh rupees in its completion. The construction of fortress was supervised by Mir Barr-u-Bahr. The design of this fort is semi-circular which is surrounded by a 21.4 m high strengthening wall along with four gates on its four sides.
As per the record described by Akbar's court historian Abul Fazl that -"there were 5000 buildings inside the fort which were elegantly built with Gujarati and Bengali style". This is unfortunate that some few are remaining this time which showcases the age old Mughal interest and endeavor towards art and architecture. Some were damaged by later rulers while some were destroyed during British time of power for raising barracks. The major surviving buildings built during the regime of Akbar are- Delhi-Gate, Akbari-Gate and Bengali-Mahal.
The great Mughal ruler Shah Jahan (Founder of World's Wonder Taj Mahal) also constructed three mosques made of white marble inside the fort namely- Moti-Masjid, Nagina-Masjid and Mina-Masjid. Shah Jahan was incarcerated inside the fort for 8 years (till his death in 1666) by his son Aurangzeb. Agra and Agra fort both have lost its splendor after the death of Shah Jahan. Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb The construction of Itmad-ud Daula'a tomb was accomplished prior to Taj Mahal during 1622-1628 and it stands as a beautiful Mughal tomb due to its fine architectural brilliance and layout. It is often called as a baby Taj as it has great resemblance with the design of Taj Mahal. Situated close to the Taj Mahal, it was built during the regime of Jahangir by her wife Nur Jahan (daughter of Mirza Ghiyas Beg) in memory of her father. Due to his brevity, Jahangir awarded him with the title of Itimad-ud-Daula (leader of the state) and after his death, Nur Jahan made this tomb in his memory. Mirza Ghiyas-Beg alias Itimad-ud-Daula was also the grandfather of Arjumand Bano Begum (Mumtaz) who was accountable for the making of Taj Mahal.
The construction of this Itmad-ud Daula'a tomb is a transition between the first phase of Mughal architecture (in which red sandstone were widely used) to second phase of Mughal architecture (when white marble was used first time to complete it entirely). It is said that Shah Jahan's Taj Mhal is inspired by the construction of this beautiful monument. Made with Islamic style, it is its architectural magnificence that it is also described as 'jewel box'. Chini Ka Rauza Chini ka Rauza is a historical monument in Agra, which was built in 16th century AD during the regime of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan by his Prime Minister Allama Afzal Jhan Shukhrullah of Shiraz- a well-known poet. 'Chini ka Roza' is the term used for decorated bright color schemes which are extensively used in its structure. It is said that when Shukhrullah of Shiraz died in Lahore in 1639, his dead body was brought from Lahore to Agra and graved here.
This rectangular structure of tombstone is very close from the ltmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb and overlooking towards river Yamuna. It showcases charm of glazing colors made of beautiful title works. This landmark construction of Indo-Persian architecture houses two cenotaphs in its center, one of them is of Shukhrullah of Shiraz. Some Quranic transcripts are inscribed on the top of the chamber. Due to the lack of conservation, it is in decrepit condition.
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