Red Fort

The Red Fort (Shahjahanabad – Lal Qila) was built by Shah Jahān between 1639 and 1648 as a symbol of Mogul power.  It is one of the great wonders of the city and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007.  For many years it was the main residence of the Mogul Emperors.

The fort’s massive red sandstone walls, which stand 75 feet (23 metres) high, enclose a complex of palaces and entertainment halls, projecting balconies, baths and indoor canals, and geometrical gardens, as well as an ornate mosque. Among the most famous structures of the complex are the Hall of Public Audience, which has 60 red sandstone pillars supporting a flat roof, and the Hall of Private Audience, which is smaller, with a pavilion of white marble.

It was at the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort that Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) raised the Indian national flag after Independence in August 1947, and where Gandhi’s assassin, Godse, was tried in 1949.