The ''Mumtaz Mahal'' ( Hindustani: ممتاز محل, मुमताज़ महल, literally Jewel Palace) is located in the

Red Fort The Red Fort, also known as Lal Qila () is a historic Mughal Empire, Mughal fort in Delhi, India, that served as the primary residence of the Mughal emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1639, fo ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

. The ''Mumtaz Mahal'' is one of the six main palaces that were situated facing the

Yamuna River The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in List of major rivers of India, India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...

. All six palaces were connected by the Stream of Paradise (''Nahr-i-Bishisht''), a waterway which ran through them. At one time the ''Chhoti Baithak'', which no longer exists, was located just to the north of the ''Mumtaz Mahal''. The building was constructed with white

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

in the lower half of its walls and pillars. It consists of six apartments divided by arched piers and was originally painted with floral decorations on the interior. The ''Mumtaz Mahal'' was part of the Zenana. After the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

occupied the fort, it was used as a prison camp. The building currently houses an exhibition of the

Red Fort Archaeological Museum The Red Fort Archaeological Museum is currently located in the ''Mumtaz Mahal'' of the Red Fort in Delhi, northern India. The museum contains paintings, artifacts, calligraphy, fabrics and other objects dating from the Mughal era. History Or ...

, consisting largely of exhibits of the

Mughal period The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...

References

External links

Red Fort Mughal palaces {{india-struct-stub