Why was red fort built?

Right, so the main reason the Red Fort was built is pretty straightforward, mate. The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, decided to move his capital city from Agra to Delhi back in the 1600s.

He built a whole new city, and he needed a massive new palace. The Red Fort was that palace. It was the emperor’s home and the main centre for his government. It was where all the big decisions were made and where he held his court. They call it the Red Fort because of its huge red sandstone walls.

So, it was basically built to be the new, grand heart of the Mughal Empire. Heaps of history there.