Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri is the imperial city of the Mughal dynasty. It is very difficult to express the architectural grandeur of this city as one can only experience the aura of these forts. Famously known as the city of Ghosts, it was built by the Great Mughal Emperor. Fatehpur Sikri is a place worth visiting to discover how once the city could have been which has now turned into ruins.

Situated 26 miles west of Agra, it was built at the orders of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. While Akbar himself was illiterate, he took a keen interest in literature, architecture, and the arts. He is also reputed to be a very tolerant ruler, and the buildings at Fatehpur Sikri blended both Islamic and Hindu elements in their architectural style.

The Buland Gate
This gate is the entrance into the courtyard around the great mosque at Fatehpur Sikri, the Jami Masjid, which served as a model for later congregational mosques built by the Mughals.

Darga Salim Chishti
This white marble structure contains the tomb of Shaykh Salim Chishti, the Sufi holy man who was Akbar's adviser and teacher. Akbar came to him originally because he had been unable to produce a male heir, and Shaykh Chishti promised that Akbar would have a son if Akbar entrusted the education and upbringing of the boy to Shaykh Chisti. The prediction came true, and Akbar's son Jahangir was indeed raised by the Sufi holy man. In addition, Akbar had the entire city of Fatehpur Sikri built around Shaykh Chisti's abode, which was about 24 miles west of Agra.

The Panch Mahal
This view of Fatehpur Sikri shows the tallest tower in the palace complex, the "Panch Mahal", and in front, a building that according to legend was the school for Akbar's numerous wives. To the right of the school, which has 176 pillars is the huge parchesi "board" on which Akbar could play parchesi using slave girls as life-size "pieces."

Diwan-i-Khas
From this elevated platform, Akbar would conduct public audience and hear the entreaties of his subjects without being exposed to potential assassins. The intricate detailing in the stone beneath the platform demonstrates Hindu influence. Remarkably, this structure, as well as the rest of Fatehpur Sikri, was constructed without the use of mortar.