The city of Taj Mahal a trifle cleaner and greener if you have been here before. Agra - the name itself recalls the picture of Taj Mahal, a spectacular monument of love built of white marble. Agra city is not only a reputed tourist destination but also a shopper's paradise. It offers breathtakingly beautiful handcrafted items that are made of pure leather. Agra is also famous for the replicas of Taj Mahal. Furthermore, it also offers excursions to Fatehpur Sikri, Mathura and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary that make it a complete tourist destination.

Agra is an ancient city on the bank of Yamuna River in India, within the state of Uttar Pradesh. It achieved prominence as the capital of the Mughal sovereigns from 1526 to 1658 and remains a major tourist destination because of its many splendid Mughal-era buildings, most notably the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, all three of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Agra is an ancient city, called Agrabana in the epic Mahabharata. Ptolemy marked Agra on a third-century map of the world. The Persian poet Salman described a twelfth century assault on Agra.

The city was fortified by Badal Singh ca 1475, whose Fort, Badalgarh stood near the site of the present Red Fort. Agra was a capital of the Lodi kingdom, defeated by the first Mughal Emperor, Babar. The Mughals also began to use it as a capital.

Agra's importance grew during the reigns of Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jahan, and Agra became a major center of art, culture, commerce and learning. These emperors undertook major building projects.

Agra is situated 27.18° N 78.02° E[1], on the bank of Yamuna river. It has an average elevation of 171 metres (561 feet). On the north it is bounded by Mathura, on the south by Dhaulpur, on the east by Firozabad, and on the west by Bharatpur. Agra is the third biggest city in Uttar Pradesh.

Taj Mahal

Agra's Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings in the world and has been declared a World Heritage Site. It is the mausoleum of Shah Jahan's favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

Agra Fort

Agra's dominant structure, the Agra Fort (also called the Red Fort), was built by Akbar in 1565. The red sandstone fort was renovated and converted into a palace during Shah Jahan's time, and reworked extensively with marble and pietra dura inlay. Notable buildings in the fort include the Pearl Mosque, the Diwan-e-Am and Diwan-e-Khas (halls of public and private audience), Jehangir's Palace, Khaas Mahal, Sheesh Mahal (mirrored palace), and Musamman Burj.

Sikandra

Sikandra, Akbar’s mausoleum, the structure is a self- conscious combination of Hindu and Islamic styles and has been described as an “amorphous curiosity “)

Fatehpur Sikri

It is another World Heritage Site in Agra District, 35 km from city of Taj. It was built by the Mughal emperor Akbar. As Agra was the Mughals' capital, there are many forts and old buildings situated there.

Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb

Empress Nur Jehan built Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb, sometimes called the Baby Taj, for her father, Ghias-ud-Din Beg, the Chief Minister of Emperor Jahangir. Small in comparison to many other Mughal-era tombs, it is sometimes described as a jewel box. Its garden layout and use of white marble, pietra dura, inlay designs and latticework presage many elements of the Taj Mahal.

Jama Masjid

A large mosque attributed to Princess Jahanara Begum, built in 1648 during the reign of the father Shah Jahan. Notable for its unusual dome and absence of minarets.

Chini Ka Rauza

A monumental tomb, notable for its dome of blue glazed tiles, dedicated to the Prime Minister of Shah Jahan, Allama Afzel Khal Mullah Shukrullah of Shiraz.

Aaram Bagh

The oldest Mughal garden in India, the Aaram Bagh was built by the Emperor Babur in 1528. It lies about 2.5 kilometres north of Chini ka Rauza. Emperor Babur was temporarily buried here before being reburied in Kabul.

Swami Bagh Samadhi

The Soami Bagh Samadhi is the mausoleum of Huzur Soamiji Maharaj (Shri Shiv Dayal Singh) in the Dayalbagh section in the outskirts of the city. He was the founder of the Radhasoami Faith and the Samadh is sacred to its followers. Construction began in 1908, and it is believed that construction will never end. It is often seen as the "next Taj Mahal".

By Rail

The railhead at Agra is well linked to Delhi, Mumbai, Jodhpur, Gwalior, Jhansi, Bhopal, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Cochin, Jaipur, Kathgodam, Patna, Vishakapatnam, Madras, Trivandrum, Lucknow, Indore.

By Road

Idgah bus stand is the main bus stand of Agra, from where one can catch buses for Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura, Fatehpur-Sikri, etc. Buses for Mathura also leave from Agra Fort bus stand.

The local artisans are also good at making leather chappals (sandals), purses, bags, decorative items and leather products. Agra is also famous for the Zari and embroidery work, Marble inlay work and durries. The main shopping areas include the Taj Mahal complex, Kinari Bazaar, Raja Mandi, Sadar Bazaar. The Gangotri at Taj Mahal Complex and the U.P Handlooms, UPICA at the Sanjay place are two UP Government emporiums.