| Description: | Located on the eastern side of India Gate and north of Humayun's tomb, the Purana Qila occupies the ancient mound, which perhaps conceals the ruins of the city of Indraprastha of the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. Emperor Humayun laid the foundations of a city named Dinpanah or 'Refuge of the Faithful' here, in 1534, and the inner citadel of this city is the Purana Qila. He conceived Dinpanah as 'a southern Samarkand' or refuge for learned men of all Islamic sects who could discuss theology at leisure under the patronage of their emperor. However, in 1540, Sher Shah Suri captured the city and renamed it Delhi Shershahi or Shergarh and built many buildings in it. In 1555, Humayun recaptured it and lived here until his death. |
