Purana Quila Or the Old Fort
Purana Quila or the Old Fort is an ancient heritage site located in the southeastern part of New Delhi.
Famous for its Mughal and Lodhi type of architecture, the Purana Quila is a structure made up of red sandstone.
The history of the Old Fort or Purana Quila is even older than the foundation of the fort itself.
It takes us back to ancient times of the great epic Mahabharata for the grounds on which the fort stands tall happens to be the site of Indraprastha, the town that was the capital of the Pandavas.
History also proves that this fort was occupied by both Humayun and Sher Shah Suri after conquering each other to capture the empire.
Humayun settled himself in the citadel and progressed to constructing a new city after the Mughal dynasty was established by his father Babur in 1526.
However, Humayun lost the empire to Sher Shah Suri over a defeat in 1540.
Sher Shah Suri took this opportunity to renovate the fort and strengthen its protection; he named these new structures Shergarh.
The fort was recaptured by Humayun after Sher Shah's death.
Sher Shah Suri's mosque Qila-i-Kuhna and Humayun's library are the only two monuments that live to tell the tale of the past.
The Bara Darwaza or the main date present on the western wall opens the doors to the Purana Quila.
This main gate, made of red sandstone, is one of the three main gates of Shergarh.
Chhattris or umbrella-like structures rise over the double-storeyed portico of the Bara Darwaza.
The other two gates include the Forbidden Gate or the Taliqi Darwaza on the north and the Red Gate or the Lal Darwaza across the road.
The Lal Darwaza is also known as the Sher Shah Gate.
The fort takes the form of an octagon, extending on a length of 2.
41 km and stands 33.
5 m tall.
Qila-i-Kuhna is the mosque built by Sher Shah Suri in 1541.
This single-domed edifice is an exquisite example of Mughal architecture and is a must-see attraction present inside the Purana Quila.
The prayer hall inside the mosque has five mihrabs or gracefully curved slots in its western wall.
Various scripted inscriptions on the wall are set in red and white shades of marble.
The staircase leads us to the second storey, which was mainly used as a prayer hall by the female members.
If ancient records are to be believed, this entire mosque was supposed to have been built in white marble, but was ultimately made up of red sandstone due to its shortage.
Famous for its Mughal and Lodhi type of architecture, the Purana Quila is a structure made up of red sandstone.
The history of the Old Fort or Purana Quila is even older than the foundation of the fort itself.
It takes us back to ancient times of the great epic Mahabharata for the grounds on which the fort stands tall happens to be the site of Indraprastha, the town that was the capital of the Pandavas.
History also proves that this fort was occupied by both Humayun and Sher Shah Suri after conquering each other to capture the empire.
Humayun settled himself in the citadel and progressed to constructing a new city after the Mughal dynasty was established by his father Babur in 1526.
However, Humayun lost the empire to Sher Shah Suri over a defeat in 1540.
Sher Shah Suri took this opportunity to renovate the fort and strengthen its protection; he named these new structures Shergarh.
The fort was recaptured by Humayun after Sher Shah's death.
Sher Shah Suri's mosque Qila-i-Kuhna and Humayun's library are the only two monuments that live to tell the tale of the past.
The Bara Darwaza or the main date present on the western wall opens the doors to the Purana Quila.
This main gate, made of red sandstone, is one of the three main gates of Shergarh.
Chhattris or umbrella-like structures rise over the double-storeyed portico of the Bara Darwaza.
The other two gates include the Forbidden Gate or the Taliqi Darwaza on the north and the Red Gate or the Lal Darwaza across the road.
The Lal Darwaza is also known as the Sher Shah Gate.
The fort takes the form of an octagon, extending on a length of 2.
41 km and stands 33.
5 m tall.
Qila-i-Kuhna is the mosque built by Sher Shah Suri in 1541.
This single-domed edifice is an exquisite example of Mughal architecture and is a must-see attraction present inside the Purana Quila.
The prayer hall inside the mosque has five mihrabs or gracefully curved slots in its western wall.
Various scripted inscriptions on the wall are set in red and white shades of marble.
The staircase leads us to the second storey, which was mainly used as a prayer hall by the female members.
If ancient records are to be believed, this entire mosque was supposed to have been built in white marble, but was ultimately made up of red sandstone due to its shortage.
