Purana Qila — Il Vecchio Forte e il Parco Zoologico Nazionale
Purana Qila (Old Fort — the massive 16th-century fortress built by the Afghan king Sher Shah Suri (1538-1545) on the site believed to be the mythological city of Indraprastha (the Pandava capital from the Mahabharata), subsequently modified by Mughal Emperor Humayun): the fort (surrounded by a large moat, with three massive gateways — the Bara Darwaza (Great Gate), the Humayun Darwaza, and the Talaqi Darwaza (Forbidden Gate) — and the Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque (Sher Shah's private mosque, 1541, one of the finest examples of the Sur dynasty architectural style) is one of the most dramatically situated fortresses in Delhi, with the National Zoological Park (the Delhi Zoo) adjacent on the west.
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Purana Qila — Delhi's 3,000-Year-Old City
Purana Qila (Old Fort, built 1538–1545 by Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri on what archaeological evidence suggests is the site of Indraprastha, a city mentioned in the Mahabharata epic, potentially 3,000+ years old) — the excavations visible inside the fort include pottery sherds dated to 900 BC; the Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque (1541) is an outstanding example of Afghan-Mughal architectural transition.
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National Zoological Park — White Tigers & Gharial Crocodiles
The National Zoological Park (adjacent to Purana Qila, 176 acres, 1,350 animals, 130 species) is one of South Asia's largest zoos — the white tiger enclosure houses white Bengal tigers (a genetic mutation, not albinism; the last wild white tiger was shot in 1958); the gharial crocodile breeding program has released 3,000+ hatchlings into the Chambal River since 1975.
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Sher Mandal — The Library Where Humayun Fell to His Death
Sher Mandal (an octagonal pavilion inside Purana Qila) was Mughal Emperor Humayun's personal library and observatory — in 1556, Humayun heard the evening call to prayer while descending the steep stairs, attempted to kneel on the narrow steps, slipped, fell three stories, and died three days later from head injuries; the stairs are still as steep today.
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Boat Ride on Purana Qila Lake
The lake outside Purana Qila's eastern walls offers 20-minute paddle boat and rowing boat rentals (₹50–80) with views of the fort's massive walls and the Mathura Road beyond — the lake is populated with painted storks, spot-billed pelicans, and in winter by migratory birds including bar-headed geese that nest at 5,000m altitude in Central Asian highlands.
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Indraprastha Museum — Archaeological Finds from the Fort
The Purana Qila museum (inside the fort, free with entry) displays ceramics, coins, and stone objects from the 19-level archaeological excavation conducted 1969–2013 — the exhibits document continuous habitation from 900 BC through the Maurya, Sunga, Kushan, Gupta, and Medieval Islamic periods, making Purana Qila one of the longest-inhabited urban sites in the world.
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Delhi Zoo After Hours — Nocturnal Animal Feeding
The National Zoo opens its nocturnal animal exhibits (owls, fishing cats, Indian pangolins, and sloth bears) for one hour after regular closing on Thursdays — ranger-led feeding tours (advance booking, ₹500, limited to 50 visitors) show animals in active hunting behaviour rarely seen during daytime visits.