Old Fort

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Old Fort

Old Fort, also known as Purana Qila, is the oldest fort among all forts in Delhi. The foundation of the massive structure was laid by the Mughal Emperor Humayun and the word was carried forward by the Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri, the founder of the Suri Dynasty, who displaced Humayun. Old Fort is believed to have been built at the site of the famed city of Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas founded on the banks of holy river Yamuna during the Mahabharata period. The fort encompasses an ancient temple named after the the mother of the Pandavas, Kunti, who is believed to have once lived there.

Several excavations carried out by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Old Fort have unearthed Painted Grey Ware dating back to 1000 B.C. with a continuous cultural sequence emerging from the Mauryan to the Mughal through the Sunga, Kushana, Gupta, Rajput and the Sultanate periods, thereby confirming the antiquity of the Fort.The ASI findings and artifacts are exhibited at the Archaeological Museum situated within the Qila premises.

The walls of the Fort rise to a height of 18 meters with a circumference of nearly 2 kilometers that comprises three arched gateways: the Bara Darwaza or the Big Gate which faces west and is still operational; the Humayun Gate or the South Gate; and the Talaqi Gate or the Forbidden Gate. These double-storeyed sandstone structures, replete with detailing such as ornate overhanging balconies or jharokhas, offer a great fusion of the Rajasthani and the Mughal architectures. 

Purana Qila is also the venue for the spectacular Sound and Light show held every evening in both Hindi and English. There is a lake near the Old Fort with boating facility for the tourists. Also situated next to the Old Fort is the Delhi Zoo which remains closed on Fridays.

NEAREST METRO STATION: Pragati Maidan, situated on the Blue Line.

For more details, you can visit the Delhi tourism website.

Reference(s):-

Wikipedia

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