Located at a distance of 40 km from Agra, Fatehpur Sikri is an epic in red sandstone. This place was built by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1564 A.D. It was Akbar’s capital for around 12 years and was abandoned because of insufficient water supply.
Akbar experimented with architecture and art to build this city expressing his ideas and vision. Here the early Mughal fusion of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles was embodied in spacious courtyards, wide palaces, and open pavilions, quarried from the local sandstone and cooled by numerous water channels, ponds, and tanks. It took 15 years to complete the construction of the planned city of Fathepur Sikri.
Before Fatehpur Sikri, Agra was the capital of Akbar’s kingdom, but Akbar shifted the capital to Fatehpur Sikri to show gratitude towards Sheikh Salim Chisti, who foretold the emperor that soon he would be blessed with a son. Akbar named the city Fatehabad, with Fateh, a word of Arabic origin in Persian, meaning "victorious." It is at Fatehpur Sikri that the legends of Akbar and his famed courtiers, the nine jewels or Navaratnas, were born.
Fatehpur Sikri is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a remarkable state of art destination to visit. It’s a great example of Mughal architectural excellence in India. An Indo-Islamic masterpiece, Fatehpur Sikri is enclosed by an 11 km long fortification wall that has various gateways.
Explorations & Experiences in Fatehpur Sikri-
- Buland Darwaza
- Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chisti
- Jodhabai Palace
- Lotus Throne
- Jama Masjid
- Khwabgah (Royal Bed-room)
- Diwan-E-Khas