The Red Fort, or Lal Kila as it is also known, was built during the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. On his orders, in 1639. the construction of a fortress was started in the new capital of the state, which was moved to Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) from Agra. It was completed in 1648, and the original the citadel was named "Qila-i-Mubarak", meaning "blessed fortress". Fort", but as new buildings were added to the fort, a new name was also added. new name.
Lal Kila is a large complex of buildings that housed the ruler's family and about three thousand other courtiers and nobles. Built of red sandstone, this architectural monument has a characteristic bright brick-red colour, which gave the fortress its new name. It is It is built in the Muslim style, has the shape of an irregular octagon, and the the height of its walls varies from 16 to 33 metres. The interior decoration of the fortress buildings were fully in keeping with the imperial status of its inhabitants. Carved columns of incredible beauty, the walls of the halls decorated with elegant ornaments and mosaics of marble slabs, neat domes and openwork wrought iron lattices made the Red Fort a unique monument. Red Fort an inimitable monument of Mughal architecture.
As already mentioned, the Red Fort is a system of several parts, the most significant of which were the Diwan-i-Aam courtyard and the Diwan-i-Khas Hall, where the Emperor received visitors, the personal apartments of the ruler Nahr-i-Behisht, the women's quarters (the zenanas of Mumtaz Mahal and Rang Mahal), the magnificent garden of Hayat Bakkhsh Bagh. and the famous Moti Pearl Mosque, made entirely of snow-white marble. marble.
Today, there are several museums operating within the fort.
The Red Fort continues to remain a significant place for the people of India, and not not only because of the huge tourist traffic, but also because every year on 15 15 August, on Independence Day, it is where the Prime Minister of India reads out his address to the nation.
