Heading west, I entered the walled city of Fatehpur Sikri through the arched Agra Gate, leading to Naubat Khana, a triple-storeyed, triple-arched drum house where a particular type of drum was played to announce the emperor’s arrival. The road terminated at a public courtyard and beyond it were Fatehpur’s complex of monuments and temples.
Fatehpur was built in the late 16th century by Akbar on the site where his son, future emperor Jahangir, was born. He began by constructing a religious compound in honour of Sufi saint Salim Chisti who predicted the birth of Akbar’s son, Jahangir. Construction of imperial palaces, public buildings, mosques and walling the city ensued, establishing it as the royal seat. After 14 years, Akbar relocated to Lahore to control unrest in the northwest. Absent for a lengthy period of time, the city was left neglected. Some maintenance was attempted over the following decades but by the end of the Mughal empire the city was in a ruinous state. When the British arrived in 1803, they set up an administrative centre and many of the monuments were repaired.
The most striking feature of Fatehpur is the incredibly grand entrance to the Jama Masjid (mosque), referred to as Buland Darwaza (High Gate). It was rebuilt by Akbar to celebrate the success of one of his military campaigns. A semi-octagonal structure, it stands at 177ft (54m) high with a massive central archway topped with several dome-shaped pavilions. Persian inscriptions are on its walls detailing Akbar’s conquests along with verses from the Quran. It is the highest gateway in the world reached by climbing 42 steps.
Akbar was well known for his religious tolerances and it was at Fatehpur where he built the Ibadat Khana (House of Worship), a place where he aimed to gather spiritual leaders to discuss teachings of their respective religions. He was so intrigued by the different teachings, that he was inspired to create his own religion, known as Din-i-llahi, intending to merge some of the best practices of all religions within his empire as a way to “reconcile the differences that divided his subjects”.
Whilst the majority of the complex is built from red sandstone, the Tomb of Salim Chisti, located within the Jami Masjid, is made of white marble and has an ivory-like appearance. Built on a plinth ornamented with geometric designs in black and yellow marble, its walls are made entirely out of marble latticework. The interior is richly decorated with floral inlays and geometric shapes. Verses from the Quran adorn the inner and outer walls of the tomb.
In 1986, Fatehpur Sikri was designated a UNESCO site making this the fifth UNESCO location on this journey.
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It's so good to see you here . . .