Red Fort - World Cultural Heritage in India

The Red Fort complex was built as the palace fortress of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. Named for its massive enclosure walls of red sandstone, it is adjacent to an older fort, Salimgarh, built in 1546 by Islam Shah Suri, from which it forms the Red Fort Complex . The private apartments consist of a row of pavilions connected by a continuous water channel, known as the Nahr-i-Behisht (Paradise Stream). The Red Fort is considered to represent the pinnacle of Mughal creation which, under Shah Jahan, was raised to new heights. The palace’s planning is based on Islamic archetypes, but each pavilion reveals architectural elements typical of Mughal buildings, reflecting a fusion of Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions The architectural style and creative planning of the Red Fort,

Accreditation year: 2007
Criteria: (ii)(iii)(vi)
Area: 49,1815 ha
Buffer zone: 43,4309 ha
New Delhi State, Central District, New Delhi

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Outstanding global value

The planning and design of the Red Fort represents the culmination of an architectural development initiated by the first Mughal Emperor in AD 1526 and splendidly completed by Shah Jahan with a combination of Traditions: Islam, Persia, Timurid and Hinduism. The creative planning arrangement and architectural style of the building components as well as the garden design developed in the Red Fort strongly influenced later buildings and gardens in Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra and beyond. The Red Fort was the setting for events that had an important impact on its geo-cultural area.

Criterion (ii): The ultimate flourishing of Mughal architecture built on local traditions but enlivened them with imported ideas, techniques, craftsmanship and designs to create a combination of Islamic, Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions. The Red Fort represents outstanding results achieved in planning and architecture.

Criterion (iii): The creative planning arrangement and architectural style of the building components and the garden design developed in the Red Fort has strongly influenced the buildings and gardens later in Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra and beyond. The Red Fort complex also reflects the period of British occupation, introducing new buildings and functions compared to previous Mughal structures.

Criterion (vi): The Red Fort has been a symbol of power since the reign of Shah Jahan, has seen the shift in Indian history to the British period, and is a place of celebration. India’s first independence and is still celebrated to this day. As a result, the Red Fort Complex was the site of events important to the shaping of the regional identity and had a broad impact on the geocultural region.

The Red Fort complex is a layered representation of both Mughal architecture and planning, as well as the later British military use of the fort. The most dramatic impacts to the integrity of the Red Fort Complex came from changing the river into a major roadway, altering the relationship of the property to its intended context; and from the division of Salimgarh Fort by a railway line. However, Salimgarh Fort is inextricably linked with the Red Fort in use and later history. The integrity of Salimgarh Fort can only be seen in its merits as part of the overall Red Fort Complex. The authenticity of the Mughal and British buildings in the Red Fort Complex has been established, although more work is needed to establish the authenticity of the current garden layout. In the particular case of Salimgarh Fort,

The nominated property has been declared a monument of national importance under the Antiquities and Archaeological Sites Act, 1959. A buffer zone has been established. Although the status of heritage conservation has improved over the past 10 years, more work needs to be done to stabilize the overall status of the site and to ensure visitors are not contributing to the conservation of the site. heritage degradation. The Red Fort complex is managed directly by the Archaeological Survey of India, which is also responsible for the protection of all national heritage sites in India and Indian cultural properties. included in the World Heritage List.