Information on Nurjahan ki Sarai (Agra, Uttar Pradesh) - History & Architecture

Sarai Nurjahan Fort or Nurjahan ki Sarai is located on northern extreme end of the bank of river Yamuna. It is one of the popular historical monuments of Agra which is situated between 'Battis Khamba' and 'Bagh-i-Gul Afsan'. Sarai Nurjahan Fort was granted by Mughal emperor Jehangir to Nurjahan in the year 1612 AD as a private land. It was during the same period when Nurjahan comprehended the significance of the land and created the 'sarai'.

Nurjahan ki Sarai Architecture

Sarai Nurjahan Fort is in rectangular shape, laid out on an east-west bloc, where the main entrance being on the eastern side. There is another small entrance to the fort on the river side. Originally there was a large dockside in that place before the creation of the entrance. There are series of single storeyed rooms in Sarai Nurjahan Fort which were disposed on two quadrilateral structures, in northern and southern sides, leaving the centre portion wide open. Every room of the fort possessed a curved ceiling and a balcony on the front side. Every openings of the fort were arched. In the river side of Sarai Nurjahan Fort, there is a tower and an umbrella shaped structure.

At present, Sarai Nurjahan Fort is an awfully ruined condition due to low level of awareness regarding the protection of heritage place and negligence by the conservation agencies. Among various structures, only the river side towers and the umbrella shaped structure have survived so far. Brick stonework was duly coated over the palace. The wedges of the fort have presently been plundered and only their supports have remained in good condition. Except for the sophisticatedly shaped supports and bare brick stonework skeleton, most of the structures of once beautiful Sarai Nurjahan Fort has been demolished.

Nurjahan ki Sarai History

The creation of Sarai Nurjahan Fort dates back to the 17th century when Agra was the capital of Mughal territory. It had considerable number of sarais or 'rest houses' for exhausted travellers. So far, about 60 serais have been recorded in Agra and one of which is Sarai Nurjahan Fort. This serai was created on the basis of the duties of Nurjahan. She was permitted to collect duties on every products before they are transported through Yamuna river. Thus, knowing the importance of the place, Sarai Nurjahan Fort was created on the river bank. It was exclusively used for the purpose of monitoring and controlling the riverine traffic. Furthermore, the traders also used this serai for the purpose of trading and storing products. Originally, Sarai Nurjahan Fort could accommodate almost 500 horses and 3000 persons at once. However, the smaller entrance of the fort which reside on Battis Khamba cannot be observed. At present, the only entrance to Sarai Nurjahan Fort is through the eastern gate which face towards the highway. The stepped dockside of the fort was also disappeared, and one can observe only the tower and chattri.

Nurjahan ki Sarai Tourism Importance

Sarai Nurjahan Fort is quite popular place to visit due to its unique architecture and design. Although most parts of the fort has demolished over time, still tourists can enjoy the sightseeing of the place such as the riverside. Sarai Nurjahan Fort also has its own structures and is regarded as one of the earliest constructions of Agra during the Mughal era which makes it a place of historical significance. Furthermore, there are various tourist attractions near the Sarai Nurjahan Fort such as Ram Bagh.