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Another one of Shah Jahan's architectural masterpieces is the Red Fort (Lal Qila). "If there is paradise on the face of this earth, this is it." The emperor had these words inscribed on the white marble pavilion, Diwan E-Khas, of the Red Fort. Though this ornately decorated hall, which was meant for a private audience, is one of the more celebrated areas in the fort, having housed the famed Peacock Throne till Nadir Shah plundered it in 1739, it is the magnificent palace, the Red Fort itself, which is absolutely breathtaking. It is made of red sandstone, from which it derives its name.
The palace is inextricably linked with some of the most country's most important historical events. It has witnessed the end of Mughal rule, freedom from colonial rule and Nehru's announcement of India's freedom from the British yoke, and his raising the Indian flag from its ramparts in 1947. One of the key attractions, other than its fascinating interiors comprising a vaulted arcade, the Moti Masjid, Royal Baths, and more, is a Sound and Light show held every evening, which recreates the history of this magnificent historic citadel.
The Red Fort was built as the fortified residence of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's new capital, Shahjahanabad, after he moved the seat of the empire from Agra to Delhi. Construction began in 1638 and was completed in 1648, with the design credited to Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the same architect associated with the Taj Mahal. For nearly 200 years afterward, it remained the residence of the Mughal emperors.
The fort's fortunes turned with the decline of Mughal power. It was stripped of many of its treasures, including the famous Peacock Throne, after Nadir Shah's invasion in 1739. Following the 1857 rebellion against British rule, British forces took control of the fort, removed or repurposed several of its structures, and used it as a military garrison for decades.
The Red Fort holds a central place in modern Indian history: it was the site of the Indian National Army trials in the 1940s, and every Independence Day since 1947 the Prime Minister has raised the national flag and addressed the nation from its ramparts. The fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.