Lodhi Art District

The Red Fort or Lal Qila (Hindustani: [laːlqiːlaː]) is a historic fort in Old Delhi, Delhi in India that served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Originally red and white, its design is credited to architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who also constructed the Taj Mahal. The fort represents the peak in Mughal architecture under Shah Jahan, and combines Persianate palace architecture with Indian traditions. The fort was plundered of its artwork and jewels during Nadir Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire in 1739. Most of the fort's marble structures were subsequently demolished by the British following the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The fort's defensive walls were largely undamaged, and the fortress was subsequently used as a garrison. On 15 August 1947, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, raised the Indian flag above the Lahori Gate. Every year on India's Independence Day (15 August), the Prime Minister hoists the Indian tricolour flag at the fort's main gate and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts. The Red Fort was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 as part of the Red Fort Complex.

The Indian War Memorial Museum is located in the Naubat Khana of the Red Fort in Delhi, northern India. It is built in 1919 as a tribute to commemorate the soldiers who had joined the First World War in India or abroad on behalf of the British Empire.

The Naubat Khana, or Naqqar Khana, is the drum house that stands at the entrance between the outer and inner court at the Red Fort in Delhi. The British initially installed the museum of the fort in this gate. It was later moved to the Mumtaz Mahal. The Indian War Memorial Museum is currently located in the first and second stories. The vaulted arcade of the Chhatta Chowk measures 540 x 360 feet, and ends in the centre of the outer court. The side arcades and central tank were destroyed following the 1857 rebellion. In the east wall of the court lies the Naubat Khana, which was connected to the side arcades. Musicians from the Naubat Khana would announce the arrival of the emperor and other dignitaries at the court of public audience (Diwan-i-Am). Music was also played five times a day at chosen hours. Many Indian royal palaces have a drum house at the entrance.

The Diwan-i-Am, or Hall of Audience, is a room in the Red Fort of Delhi where the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1665) and his successors received members of the general public and heard their grievances.The inner main court to which the Nakkarkhana led was 540 feet broad, 420 feet deep, and surrounded by arcade galleries, where chieftains (umaras) on duty were posted. On the further side of it is the Diwan-i-Am. The Diwan-i-Am consists of a front hall, open on three sides and backed by a set of rooms faced in red sandstone. The hall is 100 ft x 60 ft and divided into 27 square bays on a system of columns which support the arches. The roof is spanned by sandstone beams.The proportions of this hall, of its columns, and of the engraved arches show high aesthetics and fine craftsmanship. With an impressive façade of nine engraved arch openings, the hall was ornamented with gilded and white shell lime chunam plaster work. Its ceiling and columns were painted with gold.In the centre of the eastern wall stands a marble canopy (jharokha) covered by a "Bengal" roof. A marble dais below the throne, inlaid with semi-precious stones, was used by the prime minister (wazir) to receive petitions. The emperor was separated from the courtiers by a gold-plated railing, while a silver railing ran around the remaining three sides of the hall. The audience ceremony is known as Jharokha Darshan. Behind the canopy, the wall is decorated with panels inlaid with multi-coloured pietra dura stones. They represent flowers and birds and are reputedly carved by Austin de Bordeaux, a Florentine jeweler. The hall was restored by Lord Curzon, while the inlay work of the throne recess and the plaques of the arch to the west side of the throne were restored by the Florentine artist, Mennegatti. Bernier gives a full account of the splendid appearance of the hall during the rule of Aurangzeb, as well as the 17th century merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier.

The Chhatta Chowk (transl. Covered Bazaar) is a long passage way that contains a bazaar, or market, located in the Red Fort of Delhi, India. The Chhatta Chowk is located behind the Lahori Gate and is set within an arched passage. It is lined with two-story flats that contain 32 arched bays serving as shops. During Shah Jahan's reign, the Chhatta Chowk was very exclusive, specializing in trading goods such as silk, brocades, velvet, gold, silverware, jewellery, gems and precious stones, catering to the luxurious tastes of imperial households. Its history dates back to the 17th century. It was inspired by another covered bazaar in Peshawar, built by leading noble Ali Mardan Khan, which Shah Jahan had seen in 1646; the emperor subsequently instructed that the plans of the bazaar be sent to Makramat Khan, supervisor of the fort's construction, to build a similar bazaar in the fort.It is a unique example of Mughal architecture in which bazaars were typically open-air. As such, the bazaar was formerly known as Bazaar-i-Musaqaf, with a saqaf, meaning "roof".The arches were walled up in the 20th century and the passage thus lost its original appearance. The ceiling was also originally painted in colours. There are plans to restore the bazaar.

The Lahori Gate is the main entrance to the Red Fort in Delhi. The fort is approached through a covered street flanked by arcaded apartments called the Chhatta Chowk. Situated on the western wall of the fort, the gate received its name because it led to the city of Lahore, Present Day Pakistan. The secondary entrance is the Delhi Gate. The gateway consists of three stories, each decorated with square, rectangular and cusped arched panels. These are flanked by semi-octagonal towers crowned by two open octagonal pavilions. The whole gate is clad in red sandstone, except the roofs of the pavilions, where white stone is used. Between the two pavilions is a screen of miniature chhatris having seven miniature marble domes. Continuing around the whole wall are flame-shaped battlements. The gate was provided with a 10.5 high metre barbican by Aurangzeb (1658-1707), with its entrance to the north. It is said that Shah Jahan, while under house arrest, wrote to Aurangzeb and criticized his decision: "You have made a fort a bride, and set a veil on it."Every year since Indian Independence Day in 1947, the national flag has been raised and the Prime Minister has made a speech from the ramparts at the gate. In the 1980s, the security of the area was increased by blocking the tower windows as a security measure against sniper attacks. A lift was also added to the gate.

The Moti Masjid (lit. 'Pearl mosque') is a white marble mosque inside the Red Fort complex in Delhi, India. Located to the west of the Hammam and close to the Diwan-i-Khas, it was built by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb from 1659-1660.

The Hayat Baksh Bagh, which means "Life-bestowing garden", is the largest of the gardens in the Red Fort in Delhi . The North Eastern portion of the Red Fort. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The garden is beautifully decorated by pools, fountains, canals, walled enclosures and channels. Mostly the Mughal architectures are inspired by Islamic culture but this garden is more influenced by Persian culture.

The Rang Mahal or Palace of Colour is located in the Red Fort, Delhi. It originally served as a part of the imperial harem and was known as the Palace of Distinction (Imtiaz Mahal) during the rule of Shah Jahan. After the British occupied the fort in 1857, Rang Mahal was used as a mess hall for a brief time.The building's interior was once richly painted and decorated. Some apartments of this building are called Shish Mahal due to tiny pieces of mirrors that cover the ceilings.Through the center of the marble palace, a shallow canal called the Stream of Paradise (Nahr-i-Bihist) flowed into a marble basin carved into the floor. Under the Rang Mahal was a basement (tehkhana), which women would use on hot summer days.

The Khas Mahal served as the Mughal emperor's private residence in Delhi. The structure is located inside the Red Fort, which is a large defensive and governmental complex located inside the city. It consists of three parts: the Chamber of Telling Beads (Viz-tasbih-khana), the sleeping chamber, (khwabgah) and the wardrobe (tosha-khana) or sitting room (baithak). The interior is decorated with carved white marble painted with colourful floral decorations. The ceiling was also partially gilded. The marble screen was carved with the scale of justice (Mizan-i-adal), and above it is a particularly important item of Mughal art. The scale used was a depiction of the emperor's justice.The projecting tower to the east of the Khas Mahal is called the Octagonal Tower (Muthamman Burj). The emperor would address his subjects every morning in a ceremony called Jharokha Darshan.

The Diwan-i-Khas (Persian: ديوان خاص), or Hall of Private Audiences, was a chamber in the Red Fort of Delhi built-in 1648 as a location for receptions. It was the location where the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan received courtiers and state guests. It was also known as the Shah Mahal.A gate on the north side of the preceding Diwan-i-Am audience hall led to the innermost court of the palace called Jalau Khana and the Diwan-i-Khas. Originally there were two enclosures on the west of the hall, one for the nobles and the other for those of a lower rank. These arcaded courts were destroyed after the Indian Rebellion of 1857. It measures 90 x 67 feet. It consists of a rectangular central chamber, surrounded by a series of arches rising from marble piers. The lower parts of the piers are inlaid with floral designs, while the upper portions are painted and gilded. The four corners of the roof are surmounted by pillared chhatri.The ceiling, which was originally inlaid with silver and gold, was stripped bare by successive financial crises of the empire by the Jats or Mahrattas. The current ceiling was installed in 1911. The later Peacock Throne from after Nader Shah's invasion once stood in this hall, towards the east side.Through the centre of the hall flowed the Stream of Paradise (Nahar-i-Bihisht).. The building used to have red awnings, or shamianas. Over the corner-arches of the northern and southern walls below the cornice is inscribed the verse of Amir Khusrow: "If there be a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this." The French traveller François Bernier described seeing the Peacock Throne here. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier described seeing the throne in the Diwan-i-Am, to where it was probably moved, and described five smaller thrones with four on each corner and one in the middle of the hall.The interior was completely plundered following the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The throne, the carpets, and any other items went missing. The hall today is, therefore, only a shell of what it used to be. Recent restoration work has been redone on the panels of inlay and has also reproduced the gilded pattern on one of the pillars fronting the hall. In the riverbed below the hall and the connected buildings was the space known as zer-jharokha, or "beneath the lattices".

The Hammam-e-Lal Qila (Urdu: حمامِ لال قلعہ‬, Hindi: हम्माम-ए-लाल क़िला) is the Turkish bath located in the Red Fort in Delhi and served as the bathing area of the Mughal Indian emperor. It is located in the north of the Diwan-i-Khas. The marble hammam is a bath that forms a part of the palace building. It consists of three apartments separated by corridors and crowned with domes. The apartments are illuminated by a colored glass skylight.The two rooms to either side of the present entrance are believed to have been used by the royal children for bathing. The eastern apartment, containing three fountain basins, was used primarily as a dressing room. In the center of each room stood a fountain, and one of the rooms contained a marble reservoir built into the wall. As legend goes, perfumed rose-water once ran from the taps. The western apartment was used for hot or vapor baths, and the heating arrangement was being fixed in its western wall.The whole interior was richly decorated with colorful inlaid pietra dura floral designs made of white marble. The floors and dados of these apartments are finished with white marble as well.