After visiting the Taj Mahal this morning we continued our tour to Agra Fort 2,5 km away.
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The Red Ford in Agra
The Red Fort is located on the banks of the Yamuna River and is a fortress and palace complex from the era of the Mughal Emperors, which served as the residence of the Mughals in the 16th and 17th centuries.
In 1983, the site was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The fort is much better maintained than the one in Delhi. As it was incredibly hot today – just like yesterday in Delhi – (about 40 degrees Celsius), we had a longer lunch break after the visit and relaxed in an air-conditioned restaurant. Since Agra is a center of Indian handicraft, we briefly visited a small workshop where mosaics are made of marble.
Eine Mosaikwerkstatt in Agra
The Palace in Fatehpur Sikri
At 2 pm we continued our journey to Fatehpur Sikri, the former capital of the Mughal Empire, which is about 40 kilometres away. Of course the monuments of the city are also under the protection of the UNESCO and belong to the world cultural heritage of mankind. Our guide walked with us for 1.5 hours through the complex and explained the different buildings and their former use. Southwest of the palace you will find the Buland Darwaza, which was built around 1576. It is 54 meters high, accessible via 32 wide steps and is the main entrance to the Dargah Mosque.
The sunset at the Taj Mahal
After the visit of Fatehpur Sikri we went back to the city, where we drove with a short stop at a monkey temple directly to the garden Mehtab Bagh. The garden is located directly opposite the Taj Mahal on the other side of the river. For 1,5 hours we sat down on a wall and enjoyed the view of the Taj Mahal during the slow sunset.
Kurzer Stop am Affentempel in Agra
By train from Agra back to Delhi
Our train to Delhi left shortly after 9 pm. Some of the railroad cars at the station looked more like cattle trucks to us with the bars 🙁 When we arrived in Delhi the station hall was crowded with sleeping people. We were picked up again by a driver of the agency and brought back to our hotel. An incredibly long but really beautiful day came to an end.
