Exploring Fatehpur Sikri, India
Note: This post has been updated on May 10, 2022.
Fatehpur Sikri was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar, serving this role from 1571 to 1585, when Akbar abandoned it due to a campaign in Punjab. It was completely abandoned in 1610.
The name of the city is derived from the village called “Sikri”, which previously occupied the location. An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavation from 1999 to 2000 indicated that there was housing, temples, and commercial centers there before Akbar built his capital. The region was settled by Sungas following their expansion. It was controlled by Sakarwar Rajputs from the 7th to 16th century CE until the Battle of Khanwa (1527).
The khanqah of Sheikh Salim Chishti existed earlier at this place. Akbar's son, Jahangir, was born in the village of Sikri to his favorite wife Mariam-uz-Zamani, in 1569 and, in that year, Akbar began construction of a religious compound to commemorate the Sheikh who had predicted the birth. After Jahangir's second birthday, he began the construction of a walled city and imperial palace there. The city came to be known as Fatehpur Sikri, the "City of Victory" after Akbar's victorious Gujarat campaign in 1573.
After occupying Agra in 1803, the East India Company established an administrative center there and it remained so until 1850. In 1815, the Marquess of Hastings ordered the repair of monuments at Sikri.
Because of its historical importance as the capital of the Mughal Empire and its outstanding architecture, Fatehpur Sikri was awarded the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
It costs 1050rs per person to visit.
NOTE: This is usually a day trip from New Delhi and is frequently combined with the Taj Mahal, To book that day trip, click here.
Getting to the site
The first thing to note is that in order to see the site, you will be ushered onto a crowded bus to get to Buland Darwaza (the highest gate in the world). TIP: Make sure you are first in line to get on that bus so you have a seat!
Once you arrive, you walk up a path to an area where you must remove your shoes at the gate for the mosque. They will charge 25rs per foreign visitor to watch them. Also, if you choose to enter the Tomb of Salim Chishti, women will be required to have their heads covered, and men will be required to cover their legs.
I wasn't too thrilled with this experience, particularly because this site was one of the WORST places for males (of all ages) to relentlessly badger you into getting a "real" tour guide. DO NOT let them do this! Our own tour guide seemed to be getting along with a particular kid and since we couldn't understand their conversation, we assumed that the kid was okay to be with us. We paid him a few rupees to go away after he tried to take us to a back corner of the site to check out his family's wares for sale.
Buland Darwaza
This gate was built in 1575, by Mughal emperor Akbar, to commemorate his victory over Gujarat. It is the main entrance to the Jama Masjid and is considered the highest gate in the world.
It is a 15 stories high and acts as the southern entrance of the city of Fatehpur Sikri. The approach to the gate consists of 42 steps and is semi-octagonal in plan with two smaller triple story wings on either side. It also has three kiosks on its top surrounded by 13 smaller domed kiosks. There are smaller turrets surrounding the gateway. The expanse is broken by arched niches, small laudas, and marbles, which highlights the courtyard of the Jama Masjid. The principal arch stands in the center of three projecting sides and topped by a dome. The central arch is broken into three tiers with rows of smaller arches and flat brackets.
On the main gateway, an Islamic inscription, written in Persian, reads "Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary) said: “The world is a Bridge, pass over it, but build no houses upon it. He who hopes for a day may hope for eternity, but the World endures but an hour. Spend it in prayer for the rest is unseen.” Isa was advising his followers not to consider the world as a permanent home and hope for worldly things as human life is of short duration.
Verses from the Quran have been carved in the Naskh (script) along the top. These were drawn by Khwaja Hussain Chishti, a disciple of Sheikh Salim Chishti.
Jama Masjid
Akbar commissioned the Jama Masjid as part of his new capital city of Fatehpur Sikri. The structure was one of the first sites constructed in the city, and was completed sometime between 1571 and 1574. The mosque was in honor of the Sufi Shaikh Salim Chishti, Akbar's spiritual advisor. It was also meant to serve as a khanqah (monastic school) for the Shaikh's descendants.
The mosque played a part in Akbar's religious designs. In 1579, he delivered the khutbah for a congregational prayer, attended by the inhabitants of Fatehpur Sikri. While some of his ancestors had done this, the reading of the khutbah was typically reserved for religious leaders (such as an imam) and thus, was perceived by the ulema as radical. Akbar also joined the population in their prayer and was even seen sweeping the floors of the mosque. Kavuri-Bauer argued that all these actions were conscious moves on Akbar's part, using the mosque to portray himself as a divine sovereign rather than a regular ruler.
The Jama Masjid remained a "symbol of Mughal heritage and pride" after Akbar's rule. The mosque was heavily admired by Akbar's son and successor, Jahangir, who called it one of his father's greatest architectural achievements. Jahangir discussed the mosque complex at length with his son, Khurram, during a stay at Fatehpur Sikri in 1619. Khurram went on to become Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, and cited this mosque as the model for his own Jama Masjid at Delhi.
Jodha Bai's Palace
Born as a Rajput princess, Mariam-uz-Zamani was married to Akbar in the year 1562 as a result of a political alliance between Akbar and her father, Raja Bharmal. She gradually became his favorite wife and was the first wife of Akbar to honor the royal household with an heir. In the year 1569, she gave birth to her third and first surviving child of Akbar, Prince Salim. Akbar shifted his capital from Agra to Fatehpur Sikri in acknowledgement of his faith in the efficacy of the holy man's prayer, Sheikh Salim Chisti, whose blessings he sought for the birth of an heir to his empire. The construction in Sikri started in 1569 and a grand palace was established for the empress and her newborn son, prince Salim. This was the biggest residential palace in the city and to this day, it stands, though in ruins, as a monument of Akbar's love for the Amber princess.
Diwan-I-Khas
Diwan-i-Khas is a plain square building with four chhatris on the roof. However, it is most famous for its central pillar, which has a square base and an octagonal shaft, both carved with bands of geometric and floral designs. Its 36 serpentine brackets support a circular platform for Akbar, which is connected to each corner of the building on the first floor by four stone walkways. It is here that Akbar had representatives of different religions discuss their faiths and gave private audience.
Panch Mahal
The Panch Mahal (Five level Palace) was commissioned by Akbar, which stands close to the Zenana quarters (Harem), proving it was most likely used for entertainment and relaxation. This is one of the most important buildings in Fatehpur Sikri. This is an extraordinary structure employing the design elements of a Buddhist Temple; entirely columnar, consisting of four stories of decreasing size, arranged asymmetrically, on the ground floor, which contains 84 columns. These columns originally had jaali (screens) between them, which support the whole structure. These screens also provided purdah (cover) to queens and princesses on the top terraces, enjoying the cool breeze and watching splendid views of Sikri.
The pavilion gives a majestic view of the fort that lies on its left. The pool in front of the Panch Mahal is called the Anoop Talab. It would have been filled with water, save for the bridge, and would have been the setting for musical concerts and other entertainment.
how to get there
This is merely a day trip from New Delhi and is usually combined with the Taj Mahal, To book that day trip, click here. To read more about New Delhi, click here. To read more about Agra and the Taj Mahal, click here.