• Shah Jahan transfered the capital to Delhi from Agra in 1638 and commenced the construction of Shahjahanabad. On the 16th April 1639, he also laid the foundation of his citadel, Lal-Quila (Lal-Qal'a) or Red Fort in Hindi. It was completed after nine years on the 16th April 1648. The entire fort is said to have cost about one crore of rupees (10 million rupees or $200,000), half of it on the palaces.

• The Red Fort, so called because of the red color of the sand stone, is octagonal on plan, with two longer sides on the east and west. On the north a bridge with Salimgarh connects the fort. It measures about 900m by 550m, with its rampart walls covering a perimeter of 2.41 km and rising to a height of 33.5m on the town side and 18m along Yamuna River. Outside the ramparts runs a moat, originally connected with the river.

• Entrance to the fort is through the imposing Lahore Gate, which as its name suggests faces Lahore, now in Pakistan. This gate has a special significance for India, since the first war of independence, and has been the venue of many an important speech, delivered by freedom fighters and national leaders of India.

• The places lie along the eastern side of the fort, while two imposing three-storeyed main gateways flanked by semi-octagonal towers and consisting of several apartments are located in the center of the western and southern sides and are known as the Lahore and Delhi Gates respectively.

Easy to find the Red Fort surrounded by huge ramparts and called Lal Quila in Hindi
Made by red sand stone same as Qutb Minar. Really red.
Bamboos used as scaffolding for repairing or cleaning

2003/03/01