Agra was from, 1526 to 1658, the capital of the Mughal emperors, the Muslim rulers of India, who left a splendid architectural heritage. The two most important monuments of Agra, the Taj Mahal and Red Fort, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the man-made wonders of the world. Many consider that its architectural beauty has never been surpassed. Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal is a celebration of a woman built in marble, called by Tagore "a teardrop on the cheek of time", and by Edwin Arnold "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor wrought in living stones". Construction began in 1631 and took 22 years, deploying 20,000 people. The monument is impressive in the self-replicating geometry and symmetry of its grand design, but also in its exquisite jewel-like workmanship.

The Agra Red Fort is historically the most important fort in India, having been used as a main residence and power center by six of the Mughal emperors. More accurately described as a walled palatial city, it used to enclose more than 500 buildings inside its 2.5km long walls. Although many of them have been destroyed, there are still superb standing palaces, audience halls, and mosques in Indo-Islamic style.

The Dynasty of the great Mughals in India:
1526 - 1530
Babur's victory at Panipat in 1526 established the Mughal Empire and ended the reign of the Delhi Sultanate. The rise of the great Mughal dynasty in India.
1530 - 1556
Humayun succeeded his father Babur and became an emperor in India. Humayun was defeated and dislodged by insurrections of nobles from the old Lodi regime. In 1540, the Mughal domain came under the control of one of those nobles, Farid Khan Sur, who assumed the regional name of Shir Shah Sur.
Humayun died unexpectedly at the age of 48 when he fell down the steps of his library in his haste to obey the muezzin's call to prayer.
1556 - 1605
Akbar, the most sophisticated Mughal commander and leader, was only 14 years of age when he succeeded his father Humayun.
1605 - 1627
Jahangir succeeded his father , Akbar.
1628 - 1658
Prince Khurram was 35 years old when he ascended the throne as Shah Jahan (King of the World). In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later.
1659 - 1707
In the summer of 1659, Aurangzeb held a coronation durbar in the Red Fort where he assumed the title of Alamgir (World Conqueror). After a bitter struggle with his three brothers, Aurangzeb was the victor who took the throne.
1857
Bahadur Shah II, the last Mughal emperor, was deposed in 1858; India was brought under the direct rule of the British Crown. The end of the Mughal Empire.