Aligarh, one of the most important cities in Uttar Pradesh is quite a popular city amongst tourists coming from all over the country. Also known as Koil or Kol, Aligarh is one of the most important educational centers in the country. The city of Aligarh has had a lot of influence from the Mughal emperors who have ruled the region for a long time and the influence is seen in the monuments and structures inside the city. Aligarh is mainly famous for Aligarh Muslim University, which is one of the main tourist attractions in the city. Other than this, there are several forts, gardens and the university campus has many different attractions. Below is a list of the tourist places to visit in Aligarh, let’s have a look.

Originally built in the 14^th century, the Aligarh Fort is one of the top attractions in the city of Aligarh. The fort is known by different names like Baunasaur Quila, Ramgarh Quila or Aligarh Quila and is managed by the Aligarh Muslim University. This fort is a very important one in history and represents influences of the Islamic culture from the bygone eras. The architecture of the fort is absolutely exquisite; with intricate and detailed carvings that hold a lot of meaning. This magnificent structure has other features like minarets, terraces, bastions and a huge grand entrance for the public as well. Surrounding the fort is a lovely garden that takes the beauty of the fort to another level.

The Aligarh Muslim University is the best Anglo Muslim educational center in India and is very famous in the city; this university is the main base of the city and defines the significance of the city itself. If you are more inclined towards the history of the country and especially this city, the Aligarh Muslim University is definitely the place you want to visit. This structure was established and founded by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in the year 1875 and was set up with the intention of making modern education available for the Indian population. The Aligarh Muslim University is known for its notable alumni of politicians, sportspersons, lawyers and many more and is has also been portrayed in several movies of Bollywood.

The Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences was named after a well known physician of Unani medicine by the name of Abu Ali Ibn Sina. This school was built by a very intelligent Indian researcher and doctor by the name of Hakim Syed Zillur Rahman in order to commemorate and show respect to this well known scientist. The Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences was established with the aim of promotion of ancient medicine and methodology in India. This institution as also meant to preserve the traditional Indian medicine practices and to safeguard the techniques that relates to various ailments in the human body.

Jama Masjid is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Aligarh and is also a highly revered religious place in Uttar Pradesh. This mosque was established and built in the year 1879 by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the ruler of Aligarh in the seventeenth century. The Jama Masjid also goes by the name of Sir Syed Masjid and is visited by a large number of pilgrims every year; this is also the place where Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s tomb lies. This structure is established in the same vicinity as the Aligarh Muslim University. In January 1915, the mosque was fully constructed and that is when the ritual and tradition of reading the Namaaz at 5.00 AM was imbibed by the mosque. The mosque is huge and can accommodate around one thousand people.

Located at the heart of the Aligarh Muslim University is Sir Syed House Museum, a well known art gallery and museum in Aligarh. Back in the day, this was the residence of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, which has now been converted to a Museum, giving immense information about the Aligarh Muslim University. This is a well maintained museum that has collected archeological objects like sculptures, doorjambs, carved stone pieces and so much more. There are different sections inside the museum that tells the history of different eras in the city. This is a great place to visit if you want to know more about Aligarh and its history. After you are done with the museum, enjoy a walk in the beautiful lush greenery outside of the structure.

The Khereshwar Temple is one of the most famous temples in Aligarh and is highly respected and revered by locals as well as visitors from other cities. This temple has a shrine of the holy Shiva Linga which is very tiny in size and is locally known as Invisible Shiva Linga. At the temple you can also find other brass idols of various gods and goddesses in Hindu mythology. The Khereshwar Temple is said to be about a thousand years old and is visited by many people throughout the year; many people visit the temple to hear more about the legends and myths of Dvapara Yuga. The best time to visit the temple is during Mahashivratri when the temples is fully lit up and looks absolutely beautiful.

If you are looking to explore a Jain temple, Teerthdham Mangalayatan is the place to visit. This temple is said to be one of the biggest Jain temples in the entire country and was established by the Shri Adinath Kund-Kund Kahan Digamber Jain Trust. The Teerthdham Mangalayatan are a group of of different temples that pay attention to social concepts like education, social service and research activities. This temple is located at a distance of 13 km from the main city of Aligarh on the Aligarh-Agra Highway, spreading over an area of 16 acres of land. There are five different temples in the temple complex and each one has their own beauty, which is worth visiting for.

The Dor Fortress is located at the center of the city and is easy to locate. This structure gives its visitors a lot of history about the fort as well as the city of Aligarh. You can easily spend a couple of hours at this place, learning the historic background of the city and the fortress itself. The fortress gets its name from the Dor Rajputs, who ruled over the Aligarh region once and had established this fortress to protect themselves from other clans. Once inside the fortress, you can see a lot of things like horse and elephant stables, sculptures and structures, minarets and a beautiful well. This is a great place to go sightseeing; even though the fortress does not have any specific timing, it is advisable to go there in the daytime.

Located at a distance of 17 km from the main part of Aligarh city is the Shekha Bird Sanctuary. This bird sanctuary is situated close to a huge lake called Shekha Jheel where thousands of migrant and non migrant birds visit to breed. This fresh water lake exists throughout the year and has come about from the Upper Ganges canal, flowing adjacent from the lake. The best time to visit the sanctuary is from the month of November to March where you can approximately see more than two hundred species of birds that migrate to that zone in order to get away from the cold in their native region. This is a great place for bird watchers to learn about different species of birds and observe them.  

Baba Barchi Bahadur Dargah is a famous mosque situated near Shastri Park in Aligarh. This Dargah is 600 years old and has a lot of history attached to it. This is a mosque that is considered highly religious and is visited by many devotees throughout the year. The reason why the Dargah is so popular amongst devotees is because it is said that people who pray here with all their heart, their wishes are fulfilled. If you do plan to visit, make sure it’s on a Thursday when you are able to attend the Qawwali session; this is a real treat for people who like to sing prayers addressing the almighty.