- Type
- Fortress
- Built
- c. 1571 · 16th century
- Location
- Uttar Pradesh, India
- Style
- Mughal architecture
- Heritage
- UNESCO World Heritage List
- Coordinates
- 27.0911°, 77.6611°
History
Emperor Akbar began building a new city around 1571 beside the village of Sikri, home of the Sufi saint Salim Chishti, who was credited with foretelling the birth of the emperor's long-awaited heir. The city took the name Fatehpur, the City of Victory, after a successful campaign in Gujarat in 1573, commemorated by the colossal Buland Darwaza. Here Akbar hosted his famous religious debates, bringing together Muslims, Hindus, Jains, Zoroastrians and Jesuit priests. As early as 1585 the court moved to Lahore and the city soon emptied; a shortage of water is often blamed, although politics may have mattered more. Fatehpur Sikri was inscribed on the UNESCO list in 1986.
What to see
The palace complex includes the Diwan-i-Am courtyard for public audiences and the Diwan-i-Khas, whose carved central pillar supports a platform where, by tradition, the emperor sat. Nearby rises the five-storey open pavilion of Panch Mahal, followed by palaces associated with Akbar's wives and the house of Birbal. Beyond a wall stands the great Jama Masjid with the Gate of Victory and the white marble tomb of Salim Chishti, wrapped in lace-like screens.
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