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 Agra the city beyond the Taj Mahal lies in the northern side of Uttar Pradesh, India. The wonderful city which lies on the banks of holy river Yamuna or Jamuna as known locally is rich in its beauty of art and culture. It is also famous for many other old monuments, buildings, schools, colleges and gardens.
 History of Agra: The history of the city can be tracked back to the time of King Agrasen, the ruler over Agra. After that in 11th century when the fort of Agra was surrounded by the forces of Mahmud Shah, governor of Hind under the Ghaznavi rulers of Afghanistan. Since then the history continues and currently the government of India has taken complete care of the city and its precious monuments.
Best time to visit: Summer are too hot and winters are too chilled in Agra, however, the beauty of the monument and other facts attract the visitors in all the seasons. Winter is known as the season of the Taj Mahal where most of the tourist gather and visit the Taj Mahal to see its beauty in the foggy environment. The best time to visit Agra is from the month of October till March. Just to add, it becomes a bit chilly from 15th Dec till 15th Jan.
 Beyond the Taj Mahal: Agra is the city which is well known for its food, clothing, environment, culture, art, old Mughal buildings, old schools and colleges, British constructions, music, handicrafts, marble inlay works, leather industries and hotels. Not only this but one can find the perfect harmony of temples, churches, mosques and gurudwaras in this city. The city of Emperor Akbar is known for religions of all kind with their culture and traditions still maintained since the olden days. Also, there are 90% industries and business of various types in the city. One can find old markets as well as new shops and markets such as Sanjay Palace, Sadar Bazaar which have all the facilities which one would like to see now-a-days. The increasing number of schools and colleges has made Agra the city of quality education.
 What is Agra famous for? Agra is famous for one of the seven wonders of the world, Taj Mahal. Other monuments like Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri which are part of the world heritage monuments make the tourists visit the city frequently. The city is well-known for the following list of Mughal monuments, Mughal gardens and new parks, Mughal buildings, old and new markets, Agra culture, temples, churches, mosques, gurudwaras, nature travel, Agra's cultural and political heritage, festivals and fairs, cuisines, industries and business, schools and colleges and hotels.
Mughal Monuments of Agra: The Mughal Monuments are all those buildings which were constructed or reconstructed by the Mughal during their reign. There are several such monuments spread all over the city of the Taj Mahal, however, the most popular or commonly seen monuments are mentioned below. There are 395 monuments and sites under the jurisdiction of Agra Circle.
Taj Mahal, Agra Fort ( a.k.a Red Fort ), Fatehpur Sikri, Itmad-ud-Daulah (a.k.a Baby Taj or Mini Taj), Chini Ka Roza, Akbar’s Tomb, Red Taj, Battis Khamba, Barah Khamba, Firoz Khan's Tomb, Humayun's Mosque, Jodha Bai Ka Roza, Mariam's Tomb, Barah- Siddi, Delhi Gate
World Heritage Monument: Taj Mahal, Red Fort and Fatehpur Sikri are the monuments which are under UNESCO or the world heritage monuments. This means that these Mughal Monuments are under the care of the whole world and all the visitors worldwide. Special care should be taken by all of us to maintain these monuments.
 Taj Mahal: Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world. It is famous due to it layout, symmetry, architecture, art, marble work and story. Taj Mahal Complex includes the following parts.
- Gates of the Taj Mahal
- Taj Forecourt
- Taj Garden or Charbagh
- Taj Fountains
- Taj Water System
- Main Mausoleum (Tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal)
- Taj Mosque
- Taj Guest House or Jamat Khana
- Taj Muesum
- River Yamuna
- Taj Gallery
- Other attractions of the Taj Mahal are: Night Viewing of the Taj Mahal, Taj Mahotsav (Taj Festival)
 Views of Taj Mahal: Taj Mahal can be viewed from various places in area. The beauty of the monument of love increases in every view.
Taj Mahal can be viewed from: Taj Protected Forect (Taj Nature Walk), Banks of river Yamuna, Across river Yamuna, Agra Fort, Mehtab Bagh, hotels of Agra- Tourism of Taj Mahal, India: It is without doubt that India is greatly associated with its most famous monument, the Taj Mahal. Most, if not all, tourists in India visit this magnificent structure. Though there are lots of tourist destinations in India, the Taj Mahal is arguably the most well known tourist attraction in the country. Approved Tourist guide services are available all over the country to guide you throughout your journey.
 Sikri: Sikri is the fort which was founded in 1569 A.D by Akbar, however, was deserted soon due to lack of drinking water within 50 years of its construction. The palaces of all the queens of Emperor Akbar as well as his nine gems can be seen here.
Sikri has following palaces to see: Naubat Khana (also known as the Music Hall or Gallery), The Mint and The Treasury, Diwan-E-Aam, Diwan-E-Khas (also known Ibadat Khana), The Khas Mahal, Char Charman, Panch Mahal, Astrologer’s Seat, Mariam’s Place, Jodha Bai’s Palace, The Hawa Mahal, Birbal’s Palace, Hiran Minar, Baoli (also known as The Great Step-Well) and Houses of Abdul Fazal and Faizi.
Other well-known Monuments in Agra: There are many other beautiful monuments in Agra which were built even before the Taj Mahal was constructed. These monuments are equally liked by the tourists of all the nations. Few of them are mentioned below.
 Akbar's Tomb: Akbar's tomb is the burial place of Akbar which was built by Akbar himslef before his death. It is very special in architecture with huge main gate and main tombs in it. The garden has blackbucks and various species of flora and fauna. Also, the well-known Mariam's tomb which is the tomb of Akbar's wife famously known as Jodha Bai is also located half km from Akbar's tomb in Sikandara.
Areas of attraction at Sikandara are: Main Entrance Gate, Akbar's Tomb, Jahangiri Sheesh-Mahal (Khas Mahal) and Mariam’s Tomb- Itmad-ud-Daulah: Itmad-ud-Daulah also known as Baby Taj or Mini Taj is the tomb of Mirza Ghiyas Beg who was the father of Empress Nur Jahan, wife of Emperor Jahangir.
- Chini-ka-Rauza: Chini-ka-Rauza has two tombs - one of Shukrullah and another of his wife. Shukrullah was the poet of Shiraz, entitled 'Afzal Khan Alami' who later on became the finance minister of Shah Jahan. The tiles on the outer walls of the building were made up of China clay and hence the name Chini ka Rauza.
 History of Agra: History of Agra is prior to the Mughal kingdom, however, the Mughal monuments have made it rich in historical monuments, buildings, schools, colleges, markets and gardens. History of the city can be tracked back to the time of king Agrasen, a Hindu King.
Following factors of the history of Agra make it more clear about how the city has been ruled in different centuries.
 Gardens in Agra: Gardens in Agra are of two types - Mughal gardens and new gardens. The gardening style of the Mughals is different and amazing. Most of the Mughal gardens are found on the banks of river Yamuna.
Mughal gardens: Buland Bagh, Babur's Aram Bagh (a.k.a Ram Bagh), Chauburj, Mehtab Bagh, Shahjahan Park Rosarium, Taj Garden
New Parks: Forest Colony, Golf Course Park, K.D.Paliwal Park, Sardar Patel Garden, Subhash Park, Taj Protected Forest or Taj Nature Walk, Motilal Nehru Park
Buildings in Agra: Buildings in Agra are mostly of Mughal Kingdom, however, after the British rule one could also see buildings of that period. A few of the buildings and constructions of the olden days is listed below:
Shivaji Smarak, Riverside Mughal Havelis, Drashni Darwaza, Baoli, Akbari Mahal, Shahajahani Mahal, Tahkhana, Safed Takht, Kala Takht, Macchi Bhawan, Kursi, Saleem Garh and St. John's College.
 Famous Agra Markets (Agra Mandis): Agra is also famous for its old markets known as mandis. Those who love to shop in the new areas for them Sanjay Palace and Sadar Bazaar are the well-known markets in the city.
Mandis of Agra: Hing Ki Mandi, Jiwani Mandi, Loha Mandi, Mandi Said, Nai Ki Mandi, Pipal Mandi, Prani Mandi, Raja Ki Mandi, Rui Ki Mandi and Sikri Mandi.
Agra Culture: Agra is the city which is rich in art and culture. A few places where one can find the art and culture flourishing are Bharatpur House, Jaipur House, Shilpgram, Spiritual Museum and Heritage Craft Village.
Places of Worship in Agra: Agra is the city ruled by Emperor Akbar who respected all the religions. Akbar's Church is one of the example of this. This church was built by Akbar in 1599 A.D.
The famous temples, mosques, churches and gurudwaras of the city are listed below:
 Temples: Mankameshwar Mandir, Rawli, Balkeshwar Mandir, Prithvinath Mandir, Rajeshwar Mandir , Kailash Mandir, Renuka Dham, Bateshwar Mandir, Shri RadhaKrishna Mandir (Dayal Bagh)
Bauddhmath: Buddha Bihar (Agra Fort Bus stand)
Gurudwaras: Guru ka Tal Gurudwara, Sikandra Mathura Road, Maithan Gurudwara, Fulatti Hathighat Gurudwara
Churches: St. Peter's Church, Akbar's Church, Baptist Church, Sai Ka Takia, Catholic Church (Sadar Bazar)
Mosques: Jama Masjid (Agra Fort), Taj Mosque, Jami Masjid (Fatehpur Sikri)
Jain Temples: Digambar Jain temple (Taj Ganj), Tirthadham, Mangalayatan, Sasni, Aligarh
Nature Travel in Agra: Nature and environment are pleasant in the city of Taj. The foggy winter is especially the season when the nature blooms it riches. One can surely enjoy nature travel when you visit the city in winter season.
A few places to visit are: Chambal Safari (Pinahat), Keetham Lake (Agra Bird Sanctuary), Patna Bird Sanctuary and more.
 Agra's cultural and political heritage: Agra is known for the art of music, painting, embroidery, poetry, various marble works, leather industries and more. It is also known for the men who contributed in the fields of education, literature, social work and administration.
Names of such men is listed here: Mirza Ghalib, Miyan Nazir, Mir Taki Mir, Nazir Akbarabadi, Surdas, Pt. Satya Narayan, Baba Ram Das, Mir Saiyad Ali, Raja Laxman Singh Sadal Mishra, Maikash Akbarabadi and others.
Cuisines of Agra: The city of the Taj is famous for sweets and snacks, Mughal cuisine and non-vegetarian food. Along with this it is also famous for various delicious recipes of milk. The well-known and favorite sweet of Agra is the 'Petha' a.k.a 'Agra Petha' (Agra Ka Petha in Hindi). If you visit Agra you won't leave the city without tasting this delicious mouth-watering sweet. 'Gazak' is another well-known sweet of Agra. The famous snack of Agra is the 'Dalmoth' and the Kababs, the Tandori chicken and Tandori fish are in the menu of non-vegetarian food. Apart from this we have milk sauces, curd, cream and crushed nuts recipes to enjoy in Agra.
 Schools and Colleges of Agra: The city has numerous schools and colleges and students from all over the country and world come here for the better education opportunity. The famous St. John's College is the historical building which was prior the Agra Universtiy. Agra College is also the well-known college of Agra since the British rule. Apart from this there are numerous convent schools and colleges in the city.
Hotels in Agra: One cannot complete the information about the city without mentioning the huge number of hotels of all budgets in the city. The fact that Agra is the tourist place has made the city a blooming area for hotels of all types. There are many hotels with the view of the Taj Mahal and with all the luxuries for you to make you feel at home. The service in all the hotels is special considering the requirements and the desires of all the tourists. The hotels in the city are themselves a centre of attraction. The special view and photos of the monument of love from these hotels is unforgettable.
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