Description
The red fort or the Lal Quilla has two gates opening into the city of Delhi. The Lahore gate is the primary entrance of the fort and it faces the city of Lahore which is now a part of Pakistan. The walls of the Red Fort are about 2 kilometers in length while the height varies from 18 meters.to 33 meters.
The fort is divided into several parts and named according to their functions. It has the ‘ Diwan-i-am' i.e. the public audience where the emperor held meetings with the public and his private meetings were conducted in the ‘ diwan-i-khas' .
The Palace of Colors or the ‘ Rang Mahal ' was meant to be the private quarters of the emperor's wives and mistresses. It contains a magnificent piece of art in a lotus carved from a single piece of marble. The hall is adorned with mirrors and beautiful paintings. The ‘ Mumtaz Mahal' has now been turned into a museum.
The fort also houses the Turkish styled baths known as the ‘Hamams' and Shah Jahan's private working area known as the ‘ Shah Burj' . The royal chambers or the ‘Khas Mahal' is another tourist attraction. A courtyard specially designed for the musicians adds to the grandeur of the fort. Later, Aurangzeb had extended the Fort with the Pearl Mosque or the ‘Moti Mashjid'.
