Fatehpur Sikri

An hour west of Agra lies Fatehpur Sikri, the amazing capital of Akbar the Great. Described as an epic poem in red sandstone, Fatehpur Sikri owes its foundation to Emperor Akbar the Great who built it in 1569 and deserted it 14 years later because its water supply failed. The legend relates that Akbar was without a male heir and made a pilgrimage to this spot to see the saint Sheikh Salim Chisti to ask for his blessings for a son, who when born was named Salim and Akbar decided to shift his capital here. Its glorious courtyards and palaces conjure up dreams of the mysterious past.

Described as an epic poem in red sandstone, Fatehpur Sikri is a concrete expression of the towering personality, the ambition and the exquisite taste of the great king. The Jami Mosque was perhaps among the first buildings to come up. Its epigraph gives AH 979 (AD 1571-72) as the date of its completion. The Buland-Darwaza was added some five years later and this 175-feet entrance gate of Fatehpur Sikri is considered to be the highest gateway in the world.

Akbar employed local masons and craftsman and allowed them the freedom to use their traditional skills to create a new style, which has been called "Akbari". The architecture of Fatehpur Sikri is a combination of both Hindu and Muslim styles.

The structures here include palaces and courtyards, as well as official buildings like audience halls, the treasury, the harem, soldier's barracks and kitchens. The attached complex comprises the main mosque, the shrine of Sheikh Salim Chishti and a lofty gateway.

With Akbar begins a distinct style of architecture that blends a Islamic and Hindu elements to create something unique. The Islamic architecture of Afghanistan and Persia was marked by precise plans and subdued ornamentation in the form of geometric motifs. The Hindu and Buddhist style were more florid. The Akbari style which fused the two was born of he king's personal preferences and from his use of Hindu craftsman, primarily from Gujarat.