Three reviews out of 400 visitors, with the last review written more than a decade ago… Surely, the Red Fort Complex deserves better, given how important and popular this site is (emphasis on the word ‘popular’). Although I visited the site both in Dec 2013 and Dec 2023, this review is based mostly on my second visit.

Inside the Red Fort

Shah Jahan, the Mughal Empire’s 5th emperor, founded Red Fort (aka Lal Qila) to serve as his fancy residential palace-fort, only to be later imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb in Agra Fort. The fort later became a British military garrison and is now a crowded tourist site with museums that hold art exhibitions such as the India Biennale, which was quite enjoyable and ate up half of the time we were there.

Many of the interesting structures in the Red Fort are located on the eastern side of the complex, while most of the real estate is grass parks dotted with trees. Excluding the time spent purchasing the ticket or visiting the Kranti Mandir museums, I reckon no more than 2 hours is enough to explore the area. While I suggest checking out all of the historic structures in the complex, I found a few that are important, interesting, and worth a visit:

• Lahore Gate - This is the gate where tourists enter. It is what you'd usually see as the postcard photo of the Red Fort, remarkable for the two towers that flank a panel with a row of 7 small domed chhatris. It is quite historic in itself and symbolic of the independence of India. All I could remember was the overwhelming crowd at the ticket booth and Lahore gate in the morning of my 2013 visit. Thankfully, lines were much more organised and the crowd seemed less in the afternoon of my 2023 visit. I am not sure if the time of the day was a factor, although a quick Google search would take you to websites giving tips on how to avoid the Red Fort crowds. 
• Chatta Chowk - From the gate, you will pass through this bazaar. It could get quite busy with all the domestic tourists trying to shop for souvenirs.
• Moti Masjid - This was emperor Aurangzeb's personal mosque. The mosque looks imposing as it is enclosed by a wall almost a couple of dozen meters high. Historians believe that the domes were clad in copper or brass sheets. The mosque is closed to the public, though some web pages on the internet can give you an idea of what it looks like inside.
• Diwan-i-Khas - Also known as the Hall of Private Audiences, it was arguably the swankiest building inside the Red Fort as it housed the infamous Peacock Throne. The elaborate inlay of stones on the building's white marble walls reminds us of its past wealth. Visitors are not allowed to set foot in the building, and there are a couple of security guards who make sure you won't misbehave.
• Khas Mahal - Important as it was the Red Fort's imperial apartments. Like Diwan-i-Khas, visitors are prohibited from entering the building. 
• Diwan-i-Am - What defines this building is the row of red sandstone columns and their multifoil arches. Just like what it used to be as the Hall of Public Audiences, you would be competing with tourists for space here. Many tourists seemed to have this

Kranti Mandir

Four museums make up this complex: the Subash Chandra Bose Museum, the Yaad-e-Jallian Museum, the Museum on the 1857 Indian War of Independence, and the Drishyakala Museum. These museums, which were inaugurated in 2019, feature Indian art and history (mostly modern history from what I can recall). We were lucky enough to see the excellent art exhibitions at the 2023 India Biennale being held here, which ate up half of the time we were there. I'd recommend a visit to the museums, although you'd be okay to give it a miss if you are pressed for time.

On the Mughal Empire’s architectural legacy

Mughal architecture is an architectural style that seemed to be well-represented at the UNESCO World Heritage Convention--some of these Mughal monuments are under the Indo-Islamic architecture connection. Some are also listed as tentative sites in India (Mughal Gardens in Kashmir), Pakistan (Badshahi Mosque, Tomb of Jahangir in Lahore, Hiran Minar), and Bangladesh (Mughal Forts, Mughal Mosques), which have varying potential to become inscribed sites on their own. I always think that while Mughal architecture is heavily influenced by Persian architecture, it remains distinct and has its own "flavour". In any case, many of these iconic monuments testify to the wealth, power, and influence of the Mughals.