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Realizing the importance of its central location, Akbar (1556-1605) decided to make Agra his capital. He arrived here in 1558. His historian Abul Fazi recorded that this was a brick fort, known as Badalgarh. It was in ruined condition and Akbar ordered it to be rebuilt with red sandstone. Foundations were laid by architects and it was massively built with bricks in inner core and stone on external surfaces, some 4000 workers worked daily on it and it was completed in 8 years (1565-1573).