City Secrets | Agra

Agra is invariably included on every first-time visitor's itinerary, for who visits India without visiting the Taj? Home to three generations of one of the most dynamic dynasties in the medieval world, their talent and wealth immortalized in stone and marble, Agra is home to the finest examples of Mughal architecture in India, of which the Taj is simply the most famous.

You expect to be disappointed when coming face to face with an icon that is almost an archetype, but nothing can really prepare you for the beauty of the Taj Mahal. Built by Shah Jahan as an eternal symbol of his love for his favorite wife, whom he called Mumtaz Mahal ("Jewel of the Palace"), it has immortalized him forever as one of the great architectural patrons of the world. 

Built from scratch in 1571 by Akbar in honor of the Sufi saint Salim Chisti, who had predicted the birth of a son, this grand ghost city Fatehpur Sikri is carved entirely from red sandstone. It was only inhabited for 14 years, after which -- some say because of water shortages -- it was totally abandoned. It's a bizarre experience to wander through these magnificent, architecturally fascinating sandstone arches, courtyards, and buildings.

It’s easy to spend at least a day exploring the palaces, gardens and mosques of the 16th-century Agra Fort, which offers perhaps the dreamiest view of the Taj Mahal yet from the ornate tower in which Shah Jahan was imprisoned for the final eight years of his life by his son, with whom he did not get on so well.

Amarvilas is one of the most talked-about hotels in the world and your experience visiting the Taj Mahal and Agra will be enhanced by a thoroughly worthwhile splurge at this extraordinary property. The lobby, bar, and lounge all offer the same surreal views of the Taj, but even those public spaces that don't offer a monument view are lovely, with large reflecting pools, colonnaded courts, terraced lawns, and pillowed pavilions.

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