Fatehpur Sikri
Uttar Pradesh
Photos
.jpg?width=900)
Akbar built a brand-new capital here, moved his entire court in, and abandoned it within about fifteen years.
What you're looking at
A complete Mughal city in red sandstone, built by Emperor Akbar from 1571 as his capital. Palaces, courtyards, a vast mosque and the tomb of the Sufi saint Salim Chishti — whose prediction of an heir prompted Akbar to build here in the first place. The court left around 1585 and it has stood largely empty since.
Why it matters
Because it was built at once and then left alone, Fatehpur Sikri is the most complete surviving picture of a Mughal imperial city anywhere. It also records Akbar's religious experiment: he held debates here between Muslim, Hindu, Jain, Zoroastrian and Jesuit scholars, and the architecture deliberately mixes Hindu and Islamic forms.
Look for these
01
The Diwan-i-Khas central pillar
A single carved column flowering into a platform with four bridges. Akbar is said to have sat at the centre while advisors of different faiths spoke from the corners.
02
The Buland Darwaza's scale
At about 54 metres it is one of the tallest gateways in the world, and deliberately out of proportion with everything around it — you feel small, which was the point.
03
Threads tied at Salim Chishti's tomb
The marble screens around the saint's tomb are covered in threads tied by people asking for a child. The jali carving here is the finest on the site.
04
The pachisi courtyard
A giant board game laid into the paving in front of the Diwan-i-Am, said to have been played with people as pieces.
05
Hindu brackets on Islamic buildings
Elephants, lotuses and corbelled struts everywhere — Akbar's craftsmen were local, and he made no attempt to hide it.
Before you go
- Why it emptied is still debated; water supply is the most cited explanation.
- The Jama Masjid and dargah are a working religious complex — dress modestly and remove shoes.
- Touts are persistent at the gates. Fix what you are doing before you start walking.
- It is about 40 km from Agra and pairs well with the Taj and Agra Fort over two days.
- October to March; the open sandstone courtyards are fierce in summer.
Visitor guide to Fatehpur Sikri.
Visiting
Entry fee and daily timings weren't available from an official source — please confirm on site.
More ancient wonders
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white-marble mausoleum on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra. Commissioned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1631 to house th…
Khadir Bet (Kutch), Gujarat
Dholavira
On Khadir Bet island amid the Great Rann of Kutch, Dholavira is one of the five largest cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Discovered in 1967–68 and sy…
Saragwala (near Ahmedabad), Gujarat
Lothal
Lothal is one of the world's earliest known dockyards and a major trading outpost of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Established around 2400 BCE near the head…
Rakhigarhi (Hisar), Haryana
Rakhigarhi
Rakhigarhi is the largest Indus Valley Civilisation site found in India. Spread across roughly 224 hectares on the bed of the vanished Saraswati (Ghaggar) ri…
Kalibangan (Hanumangarh), Rajasthan
Kalibangan
Kalibangan, in north-west Rajasthan, is an Indus-era site of two adjacent mounds separated by a dried river channel. Excavations in the 1960s revealed a fort…
Gharapuri (Elephanta Island), Maharashtra
Elephanta Caves
The Elephanta Caves are a group of rock-cut temples carved into the basalt cliffs of Elephanta Island (Gharapuri), a short ferry ride across Mumbai harbour.…