Red Fort Complex
The Red Fort Complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. Named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone, it is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546, with which it forms the Red Fort Complex. The private apartments consist of a row of pavilions connected by a continuous water channel, known as the Nahr-i-Behisht (Stream of Paradise). The Red Fort is considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity which, under the Shah Jahan, was brought to a new level of refinement. The planning of the palace is based on Islamic prototypes, but each pavilion reveals architectural elements typical of Mughal building, reflecting a fusion of Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions The Red Fort’s innovative planning and architectural style, including the garden design, strongly influenced later buildings and gardens in Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra and further afield.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/231
The Red Fort Complex is considered the final flourishing of Mughal architecture, combining Islamic, Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions. It was built in the mid-17th century, and became a symbol of power of Mughal emperor Shahjahan. It was the palace of his, Shahjahanabad. He moved his capital from Agra in a move designed to bring prestige to his reign, and to provide ample opportunity to apply his ambitious building schemes and interests.
After 1857 the site was used as the headquarters of the British Indian Army. They introduced new colonial-style buildings and functions over the earlier Mughal structures. It was also the place where Indian independence was first celebrated, and is still celebrated today.
The Complex consists of:
Red Fort, with:
- Walls, bastions and gates
- Chhatta Chowk, palace market
- Naubat Khana or Naqqarkhana Drum House
- Diwan-i-Am, Hall of Public Audience
- Palace pavilions and the Nah-i-Bihisht, Stream of Paradise
- Diwan-i-Khas, Hall of Private Audience
- Hammam Baths
- Moti Masjid, Pearl Mosque
- Hayat-Baksh Bagh, Lifegiving Garden
- British period buildings
Salimgarh Fort (an older fort, connected to the Red Fort by a bridge).
http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/redfort.html
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