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Old Delhi, or the walled city, served as the capital for many emperors. Today, the gates of the old city remain, such as Kashmiri Gate, Ajmeri Gate, Turkman Gate and Delhi gate. Other essential features of Old Delhi are the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk.
The Mughal king Shah Jahan (who built the Taj Mahal) transferred his capital to Delhi from Agra in 1639, and the fort was completed nine years later. When the fort was built, the Yamuna river flowed on one side and there were deep moats on the other sides. Today the Yamuna flows almost a kilometre away from the fort and the moats have dried up. The fort has two main entrances, the Delhi Gate and the Lahori Gate. The latter faces the famed Chandni Chowk market. Just inside the Lahori gate is a small bazaar. This Shopping arcade was known as the Mina Bazaar and, during the Mughal era, was open only to women on Thursdays . Structures inside the fort include the Diwan-e-Am, where the king would grant audience to members of the public and the Diwan-e-Khas for audiences with ministers and important people. The Dewan-i-Am once had a marble wall inlaid with precious stones. which were removed during the mutiny of 1857. Next to Dewan-i-Khas are the Hamams (royal baths)
which
are closed for public viewing. The white marbled Moti Masjid (p Beneath the war memorial museum, which houses a collection of armour and weapons, is the Naubat Khana or the drum house, from where beating drums would announce the arrival of emperors or princes. Each year on the 15th of August the Indian Prime Minister addresses the nation from the Red Fort.
It has three gateways, four angled towers and two 40m high minarets.
The flight of stairs and its large courtyard are something to be admired.
Visitors are welcome to enter the mosque if they are properly dressed and remove
their shoes. They may also climb to the top of the minarets for a bird's eye view of Delhi.
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earl mosque) was
Aurangzeb's
private mosque. The Rang Mahal was a water-cooled apartment for the royal
women. 
This
market was a Mughal
commercial centre and is today one of the country's best known wholesale markets for
textiles, electronic goods and watches. The entire area was designed by Jahanara Begum,
Shah Jahan's favourite daughter, and was then inhabited by the well-to-do families of the
time. Chandni Chowk was once lined with beautiful fountains. Today the place is very
crowded and congested. Chandni Chowk is located opposite the Red Fort.
Just before one
enters the
Chandni Chowk area one cannot miss seeing the charity bird's hospital located within the
precincts of a temple. Bird lovers bring their pets here for treatment free of cost.