Red Fort, Delhi

Lal Qila [sometimes pronounced as 'Quila'] is taken from Urdu, means Red Fort. The red sanstones castle which remains the gorgeous Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
Built in 1639 and finished about 1648. And Mughal power lead from this place 'till 1857, when Bahadur Shah Zafar exiled.
Several features inside;
~ Moti Masjid added by Emperor Aurangzeb, 1659
~ Diwan-i-Khas, the legendary Peacock Throne
~ Diwan-i-Aam, 60 pillared hall
~ Khas Mahal, the royal apartments, facing to Yamuna River
~ Rang Mahal, with marble fountain

Once you entrance to the Red Fort you will get through a long street, a covered gallery full of souvenir, photograph, jewel ... shops. Here I bought a new memory stick for my sony camera ( 4540 R. 560MB). Be prepared for thousands of pic at this imperial city.
Here things are much more expensive than outside :))
In old times here use to be the best Delhi's craftsmen

The beautiful entrance to Red Fort has lots of importance for India, here is the place where the Indian flag was hoisted for first time when India get its independence in 1947.

Like other Indian Monuments, Red Fort is not a Monument but a group of Monuments, palaces, a imperial city protected by gorgeous red walls.

Tourist Entrance 100 R.

After Chatta Chowk, you will walk through a patio and get to an expectacual place, a large pavilion for imperial audiences. In the centre of the Imperial City, after it all the private parts of the fortress. All of red sandstone full of columns. In the centre, the marble white throne.
The light here is incredible.

The main entrance to Lal Qila [the Red Fort]. Also the place where the Prime Minister of India proclaimed the Independence Day, August 15, 1947 [2 years - 2 days after my own country's Independence Day: 17-08-1945] .
Named based the location which is directly facing to Lahore, Pakistan.

Last time, 3 years ago, i was in Delhi on the 15th of August so we couln't visit the Red Fort inside.
Impressed because it's very big, almost 2 km, the walls are very big giving the impression of a hard fort. It was build following the model of Agra. In spite of the sackings.

Walking from the commercial gallery you will get to a 3 floor building, of a really beautiful red facade, where musicians used to live and play ceremonial music or announcing the arrival or exit of important guests. Here also was the place from where guest had to leave their elephants or other transport and go on walking inside the city.
Look at its facade near. Beautiful indeed

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The Red Fort , like Chandni Chowk, in another register is an emblematic place of Delhi; missing a visit to the Red For is like not having been to Delhi! Since I am a kid, am able to read stories, I was fascinated by the Great Mogul. Moguls disappeared but some of their works and achievements are still on this planet. I am as competent in architecture and Islamic art as a dog for biking, but I discovered Islamic long time ago in Algeria, in Andalusia, later in south East Asia, and more recently in Central Asia; it is every time a discovery! And here, in Lal Qila, it is so new to me, and different, this Mogul art, so much majesty! I had visited the Red Fort a few years ago, my camera did not work, and revisiting this marvel was just giving me an idea of what paradise on Earth (for the Moguls at least!) could be!
The Red Fort has been constructed by Shah Jahan, great great great grandson of Timur of Samarqand in 1639; he built a 2.5 km long wall around his palace. What we see today is a very small part of what existed in times of splendour, as during the British rule, it was used as an army cantonment and it is estimated that the four fifth of the palace have been destroyed. . . . . the fate of those who loose. . . . . Long walls and gates; Lahore gate(on the two first pictures) is the most impressive, and it is there where most visitors enter. Picture 3 shows it as seen from the minaret of Jama Mosque. At Lahore Gate, you can have a look at the high walls and the ditches (picture 4).
Be prepared for a security check when entering the fort: you will pass under a detection device and be searched on the body; this explains the queues at the entrance (picture 5).
Entrance fees: 150 Rs, (10Rs for Indian citizen); about the fees, I was witness of really stupid appalling behaviour of some “tourists”; a couple looking like Indian queued at the local tickets shelter, but were then asked to pay the foreigner fee, and they made almost a scandal about the fees they had to pay! They were in fact irked, not having managed to save. . . (3.7 – 0.25) 3.5 U.S.$. Hell ! ! What are 3.5 Dollars when you can afford to travel overseas. . .? And this money is used (well, in theory!) for maintenance and renovation of the historical place, for the Archaeological Survey, or in the government expenses for “development” of India! Stupid games. . . . .

Ticket to the Fort gives entrance to all museums or buildings in the Red Fort.
Open: 10 a m -- 6 p m
The Archeological Survey of India gives historical and construction information about the Red Fort and the little palaces inside (click on the links).

Nice from outside. I can't confirm the inside was worth the visit as I had to renounce to it due to some VIP movements.

We took a cycle rickshaw to spend the time we had planned to allocate to the visit of the red fort.. The photo is blurry as i took it from the rickshaw in full motion...

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The Red Fort, situated in Old Delhi, was built between 1638-48 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the builder of the Taj Mahal, as a royal residence in his new capital, Shahjahanabad. It was used as the Mughal capital until 1857 when Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the British following the Mutiny / War of Indepence. It was then a British miliary camp until Independence in 1947, when the Indian Army took over the fort as a military garrison. They vacated it in 2003 to facilitate restoration work. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The entry fee for western tourists was 250r in Feb 2009

The main entrance is the Lahore Gate (2nd photo), which leads through the Chatta Chowk, a covered bazaar street.

For the buildings within the Fort, see following tips.