Lal-Kila
Lal-Kila Fortress ( Red Fort ) is an amazing attraction of India, built during the reign of the Great Mughal. Architects built a fortress in the image and likeness of paradise described in the Qur'an.
The construction of the citadel began in 1639 by order of Emperor Shah Jahan and after 9 years the construction of the residence was completed, becoming the center of the medieval city of Shahjahanabad ( Today Old Delhi ). On one of the arches in the hall of Kala-a-Mubrak there is an inscription: "If there is paradise in the world, then he is here, he is here". With these words spoken by the Persian poet Amir Khosrov, architects equate the greatness of the citadel with paradise. The name of the Lal-Kila fortress in Hindi means Red Fort, and they called it that because of the huge red walls. Imperial apartments consist of a number of pavilions connected by a channel of water known as the stream of Paradise.
The construction of the fortress fell on the heyday of the empire of the Great Mughal and was planned in accordance with Islamic architecture. Each pavilion contains architectural elements that reflect Persian traditions and the buildings of the Timurid dynasty. The innovative architectural style of the Red Fort, including its design of the garden, was influenced by later buildings and gardens in Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kashmir. Fort Salimgarh, which, together with the Red Fort, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007, adjoins Lal Kila from the northwest.
The fort is surrounded by a huge wall - 2.5 km around the perimeter and height from 16 to 33 meters. Over the years, the power of the dynasty of great cities has weakened, and to maintain the army, many precious elements in imperial mansions have been replaced by cheap ones. For example, the silver ceiling from the imperial amusement palace ( harema ) was replaced by copper. But this did not help to stand against the Persian king Nadir Shah, who in 1739 looted the royal residence, taking with him the "Pavlinius Throne". According to the French merchant, the diamonds of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier were the most luxurious throne in the world. He had silver steps and golden legs decorated with gems. Two peacock tails of gold, with diamond and ruby clutches, sighed behind the back. After the robbery, the throne became a symbol of the Persian monarchy, but during the battles with the Kurds the throne was lost and most likely dismantled and sold out.
The weakening of the mogul led to the fact that Marathi actually reigned in Delhi, and the mogols were formally on the throne. Marathi, to raise funds against the war with the Afghan king Ahmad-shah Durrani, removed the gold and silver elements from the ceiling of the Shah-Mahal Palace in the Red Fort. It didn’t help, the Maraths lost the battle and Delhi was again looted, but already by the Afghans. In 1803, the Marathi lost the war of the East India Company, and control over Delhi and the entire territory of the Mughal empire passed to it. This continued until 1857, when the uprising of the Sipaevs who captured the city took place, but after bloody battles, the Sipai were defeated, and the empire of the Mughal was finally defeated. The Great Mogul Bahadur Shah was arrested, and his sons and grandchildren were shot. The British authorized the systematic theft of valuables from the fort palaces. All furniture was removed or destroyed, the harem of the apartment, quarters and gardens of the employees were destroyed. Only marble buildings on the east side in the Imperial Corps escaped complete destruction, but were looted and destroyed. While the defensive walls and towers were relatively unharmed, more than two-thirds of the internal structures were destroyed by the British.
Today, several museums operate in the territory of Lal-Kila, and there are shops of sellers around. Even after the looting, the citadel of the Great Mughal strikes with its grandeur and beauty. Here are the main events dedicated to the Independence Day of India during which the Prime Minister reads out a solemn speech within the walls of the Red Fort.
