Old Town

   The old town is on the hillside northeast of the fort. It has the Tomb of Ghaus Muhammad, a Muslim saint. He was a 16th century Afghan prince who played a key role in Babur's acquisition of the fort. His tomb, of early Mughal architecture, has hexagonal towers at its four corners and a dome that was once covered with glazed blue tiles. This tomb, with its delicate sandstone screens, is a pilgrim place for both Hindu and Muslims The Tomb of Tansen, nearby, is placed in an attractive garden setting and is the venue of the annual National Music Festival in November and December. Tansen, a singer and one of the "nine jewels" of Emperor Akbar's court, was an exponent of the dhrupad raag, a very advanced form of Indian classical music. The dhrupad, which has its roots in the Vedic scriptures, means a steadfast song. It was Mian Tansen who laid the foundations for what, in the 19^th century, became the Gwalior Gharana, a style of music noted for its stress on composition and forceful performance. One of the best-known contemporary exponents of this Gharana is Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, a renowned sarod player, and also a Gwaliorite. It is rumoured that chewing the leaves of the tamarind tree near Tansen's grave improves one voice.

A few kms. east of the tombs, at Morar, is a recently built Sun temple similar in style to the one at Konark. Memorials to Tantya Tope and the Rani of Jhansi can also be seen in the old city as well as the Kala Vithika, which is a museum of modern art.