Red Fort (Lal Quila)

Completed in 1648, the Red Fort is the largest of Old Delhi’s monuments. Its red sandstone walls dominate Old Delhi’s Muslim district, rising above a wide dry moat to a height of up to 33m (108ft), and are lined with turrets and bastions. Today, rather than repel enemy invaders, they keep out the noise of the surrounding city, and the serene gardens and pavilions within the fort hark back to the power and majesty of the Mughal emperors. The main entrance of the Red Fort opens onto a bazaar that was at one time home to the city’s most skilled goldsmiths, carpet makers and jewellers. Farther within lies the Hall of Public Audiences, where the emperor would listen to the complaints of the common people, and the Royal Baths, three large domed rooms with a fountain in the centre.
Air: Indira Gandhi International Airport. Rail: Train: Main Delhi Station (Old Delhi). Road: Bus: Services to Lal Quila entrance. Car: Grand Trunk Road NH1 (from Amritsar and north); Mathura Road (from Agra and south); NH2 (from Calcutta and east); Gurgaon Road (from Jaipur and west).