Shish Mahal (Mirror Palace) Agra fort

Luckily, we were able to enter ##always-closed## the Shish Mahal (Mirror Palace), walls of which are inlaid with tiny mirrors which at that time were worth more than gold.
The ornate white marble pavilion is inlaid with pietra dura and complex mirror-work of the finest quality.

Shish Mahal (Turkish Bath). To the north-east corner of the court in the lower storey is situated the illustrious building Shish Mahal (Palace of Mirror) which is so named because of the fine profuse embellishment of mirror on the arches, walls and the ceilings with irregular geometric and floral patterns in thick stucco relief work covering the walls and ceilings. Most of the glass work was missing but were restored by the Agra Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1978-81. This creates a picturesque scene when lighted with candles. It was constructed in 1637 and served as the luxurious bath of Khas Mahal.

The bath comprises of two chambers, each about 12 m. by 7 m. The inner chamber has apsidal ends and a marble tank with a fountain and the second chamber has also a similar tank in the east wall. Originally the stucco reliefs were painted artistically with mirror and gold. The floor of the chambers was of white marble.