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Old Fort
Location: 4 km from Connaught Circus, South east Delhi
The history of Old Fort
The Old Fort is one of the most visited tourist places of Delhi.
Purana Qila is a citadel which was partly raised by Afghan ruler
Sher Shah Suri, who was temporarily deposed Humayun. Sher Shah made
a major contribution to public works, built the Qila Kunha Mosque
and the Sher Mandal within the citadel in 1541 A.D. The purpose of
the later is not quite clear though it is thought that Humayun
housed his library there. He fell on it's steep stairs while
answering the call to prayer, and died as a result three days later.
The three gates of the fort
There are three Gates to this fort. Today entrance is through the
Bara Darwaza. The South Gate is called the Humayun Darwaza, probably
because Humayun built it or because the tomb of Humayun is visible
from here. The third gate is the Talaqi Darwaza. Recent excavations
in the fort has revealed painted grey pottery which date back to
1000 BC. Such and many more findings inside the fort have proved the
location to be inhabited since the early civilizations. In fact
there was a village inside the fort till 1913 called Indrapat which
is very close to Indraprastha adding credibility to the theory of
Mahabharata having taken place here.
The Qila Kuhna Masjid
Inside the fort Qila Kuhna Masjid which is one of the finest
example of architectural style being used in those days. The Masjid
was built by Sher Shah in 1541 and it seems that there was an
attempt to build the whole structure in Marble. But the scarcity of
marble forced the use of Redsand stone. This mixture was accidental
forced or intended we do not know, nevertheless the combination adds
a different look to the structure. The inner west wall of the Masjid
has five arched openings and which are richly ornamented in white
and black marbles.
Excavations reveal
The location of Purana Qila is not new to history, as the earliest
reference to this site is made in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata.
Recent excavations at the fort site have yielded painted grey ware
pottery which dates back to 1000 B.C.The fact that until 1913 there
was a village within the fort called Indrapat gives credence to the
belief that Purana Qila was built on the ruins of Indraprastha. The
walls of the fort are 18 metres high at some points and there are
groups of holes arranged in patterns on the walls which were
apparently meant to be nesting spaces for birds.
Boating in the Lake
At the foot of the hill is a lake where the Delhi Tourism has
arrangements for boating and also a sound and light show.
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