Red Fort
Delhi, Delhi
Photos
The Prime Minister speaks from these ramparts every Independence Day — from a fort the British stripped of almost everything that made it beautiful.
What you're looking at
Shah Jahan's walled palace-city, built between 1638 and 1648 when he moved the Mughal capital from Agra to Delhi. Red sandstone walls two kilometres around enclose marble audience halls, private apartments, gardens and a mosque. It stayed the seat of Mughal power until 1857.
Why it matters
The Red Fort is where Mughal court architecture reached its most refined, and where it ended: after the 1857 rebellion the British exiled the last emperor, demolished around two-thirds of the interior buildings and turned the rest into barracks. It has since become the symbolic centre of independent India.
Look for these
01
The inscription in the Diwan-i-Khas
In Persian, along the cornice: if there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this. Written for a hall that once held the Peacock Throne — carried off to Persia in 1739.
02
Marble inlay of flowers and birds
In the private apartments the pietra dura work rivals the Taj Mahal. Look for the panel with scales of justice above the Khas Mahal.
03
The water channel running through the palaces
The Nahr-i-Bihisht, the Stream of Paradise, ran through every royal chamber to cool them. The empty marble channel is still traceable room to room.
04
The gap where buildings used to be
The enormous open lawns are not a design feature. Those are the footprints of the structures the British removed after 1857.
05
Chatta Chowk, the covered bazaar
The arcade you walk through on entering is original — a rare Mughal covered market, built so the court could shop without leaving the fort.
Before you go
- Closed on Mondays.
- Go early: it is one of Delhi's busiest sites and the marble halls get crowded fast.
- Jama Masjid and the lanes of Chandni Chowk are directly opposite — the classic pairing.
- There is an evening sound-and-light show.
- Security is tight and bags are restricted; travel light.
Visitor guide to Red Fort.
1638–1648 CE
October–March (cool season)
2–4 hours
Archaeological Survey of India
History
Shah Jahan conceived the Red Fort as the palace-fortress of his new capital. Its irregular plan is enclosed by walls up to 33 m high with bastions and a moat. Beyond the Lahori and Delhi Gates lie the covered Chhatta Chowk bazaar, the Naubat Khana and the Diwan-i-Am. Inside are palaces such as the Rang Mahal, Mumtaz Mahal, Diwan-i-Khas, Hammam and Khas Mahal, set amid the Hayat-Bakhsh gardens. After the 1857 uprising the British demolished many courtly buildings and used the fort as a garrison; only about thirty of the original Mughal structures survive today.
1638
Shah Jahan founds Shahjahanabad and lays the foundation of the Red Fort
1648
Construction largely completed, with palaces, audience halls and markets inside
1857
A focal point of the uprising; British forces later demolish many courtly buildings
15 August 1947
India's first Prime Minister hoists the national flag here — a ceremony repeated every Independence Day
2007
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
Why it matters
In Indian history
Seat of Mughal power for nearly two centuries and, since 1947, a symbol of Indian sovereignty; its architecture reflects the height of Mughal urban design and palace culture.
In world history
A fusion of Persian, Timurid and Indian architectural elements that characterised the Mughal Empire and influenced later forts and palaces across the subcontinent.
Style: Mughal fort with Indo-Persian architecture
Outstanding Universal Value
Current condition
The walls and surviving palaces are generally well maintained, though many original buildings were destroyed after 1857. Conservation addresses stability, sandstone weathering and heavy visitor numbers.
Concerns: Urban pollution and traffic vibration, Large visitor numbers, Conserving the remaining structures.
Visiting
October–March (cool season)
2–4 hours
~1.32 million domestic + 5,579 foreign (2021–22)
Timings
Open sunrise to 21:00. Closed on Monday. An evening sound-and-light show is held on most days
As of 2025. Always reconfirm before travelling.
| Entry ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Indian / SAARC & BIMSTEC₹35 if booked online | ₹50 |
| Foreign nationals₹550 if booked online | ₹600 |
| Children under 15Free | Free |
Fees as of 2025. Reconfirm at the official ticket counter.
Getting there
Nearest airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) · ~20 km
Nearest railway
Old Delhi Railway Station (DLI) · ~2 km
By road
In Old Delhi on Netaji Subhash Marg; taxis, autos and buses serve it.
Getting around
Lal Qila and Chandni Chowk metro stations are a short walk away; cycle-rickshaws ply from the stations.
Do's & Don'ts
Do
- Allow time for security screening
- Visit the museums inside the fort
- Use bins and keep the site clean
Don't
- Do not enter restricted or roped-off areas
- Do not carry weapons or prohibited items
- Do not deface the historic structures
Sources
UNESCO's OUV text could not be retrieved, so those fields are left blank and replaced with a short protection note; the 1857 and Independence Day events are well-established general history.
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