Fatehpur Sikri is a town in the Agra district and name of the city is derived from the village called Sikri. The fort was built by Akbar in 1569 after Akbar’s son Jahangir was born at the village of Sikri. A year later, the construction of an imperial palace was started.
The fort seats on the rocky ridge and made of a red sandstone. The city’s architecture reflects both Hindu and Muslim style of architecture popular at that time. The palace also contains the summer and the winter palace for queen Jodha.
Some of the important buildings in the fort are:
Tomb of Salim Chisti: Made of white marble and constructed in the name of a Sufi saint, Salim Chisti. Mosque has the grave of the saint, under an ornate wooden canopy. Surrounding it is a covered passageway for pilgrims to traverse, with carved Jalis, all around with intricate geometric design and an entrance to the south.
Buland Darawaza: Situated at the south side of the mosque area, the Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri is 55 metres, from the ground. The gate was added later five years after the completion of the mosque as a victory arch, to observe Akbar’s successful Gujarat campaign. The gate is mightiest and appears as Buland as it sound.
Anup Talao: Is a pool built by Raja Anup Singh Sikarwar with a central platform and four small bridges connecting the central platform from all four directions. Some of the important buildings of the royal palace are surround by it including. Khwabgah – Akbar’s residence, Panch Mahal, a five-storey palace, Diwan-i-Khas.
Panch Mahal: A five-storied palatial structure, with the tiers gradually diminishing in size, till the final one, which is a single large-domed chhatri. It was built for the ladies of the court. The floors are supported by total 176 intricately carved columns on each level.
Diwan-i-Aam: Diwan-i-Aam or Hall of Public Audience, is a building found in many old cities where the ruler meets the general public.
