INDIA CROSSING THE RIVER GANGES Taj Mahal- As Seen from Agra Fort Window. Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses; within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls; the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many fairy-tale palaces; such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal; built by Shah Jahan; audience halls; such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful mosques. The Red Fort and the Taj Mahal bear an exceptional and complementary testimony to a civilization which has disappeared; that of the Mogul Emperors. Agra's history goes back more than 2; 500 years; but it was not until the reign of the Mughals that Agra became more than a provincial city. Humayun; son of the founder of the Mogul Empire; was offered jewellery and precious stones by the family of the Raja of Gwalior; one of them the famous Koh-i-Noor. The heyday of Agra came with the reign of Humayun's son; Akbar the Great. During his reign; the main part of the Agra Fort was built.