Purana Quila

Purana Qila, Bara Darwaaza

Purana Qila (old fort) is one of the oldest forts in Delhi. Old Fort is 5000 years old and was basically the boundary wall of the city of Delhi then. The city was built by the Mughal emperor Humayun. He decided to build a city that was called Dipanah that means the refuge of faith.                                                           

The two walls

Some interesting facts !!




1) The walls of the fort are 20 meters tall and 4 meters thick. The fort is enclosed by 2 walls, one inside wall and the other outside wall. Between the walls there was a water body to prevent attacks. The walls and gates were made in one year. 

Talaqi Darwaaza

   2)   The fort has four gates in total. There are two double storied arched gate ways called Humayun Darwaza and Talaqi Darwaza. The first and main gate is called Bara Darwaza. It is a triple storey structure and the gate is 20 meters high. The walls have some holes for arrows and guns. The forth Darwaza had a moat linked to the river Yamuna, made perhaps to escape in the event of an attack.

                                             

Sher Mandal

                                                                                        


3) Sher Mandal is a small octagonal red stone tower on the right side of the Talaqi Darwaza. Humayun used this as his library. He slipped on the stairs of this tower and eventually died because of the injuries he sustained. Rumors exist that after the death of Humayun, the Mughals considered the fort to be cursed and vacated the structure. The Mughals then constructed a new fort known as Lal quila (Red Fort)

Main gate of Masjid

4)    Qila-e-Kuhan Masjid, the names means ‘mosque of Old Fort’. Qila-e-Kuhan Masjid was a prayer place for Mughals. The Masjid was built by Sher Shah in 1541. The hall width is 51 meters and the length is 15 meters and the center of the façade is 16.5 cm in height. The Masjid has 5 door ways with horse shoe arches. Red, yellow sand stone with white and black marble has been used to build and decorate the Masjid. The apparent idea was to construct the mosque with white marble but due to shortage of material other material had to be used.