Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri is in Agra District in Uttar Pradesh, India ,it was constructed by Akbar the Great, it was in built in honor of sufi saint Shaikh Salim Chisti, who lived in a cave on the crest at Sikri, and foretell the birth of his son, who was named Prince Salim after the saint. He later succeeded Akbar to the throne of the Mughal Empire, as Emperor Jahangir. Fatehabad later acquired the name Fatehpur, and gave rise to present name Fatehpur Sikri.

Fatehpur Sikri was intended by Akbar with proper planning in the honor of Sheikh Salim Chisti but it was discarded only after fifteen years due to shortage of water in the town.

Fatehpur Sikri stands on rocky point, which is 3 km in length and 1 km wide, and palace city is enclosed by a 11 km wall on three side with the fourth being a lake The structures of Fatehpur Sikri show a mixture of architectural craftsmanship of regional schools. Influences from Hindu and Jain architecture are also seen with some Islamic elements. The material used at Fatehpur Sikri, palace-city complex, is the locally excavated red granite, it has five-mile long fort wall, namely, Delhi Gate, the Lal Gate, the Agra Gate, Birbal's Gate, Chandanpal Gate, The Gwalior Gate, the Tehra Gate, the Chor Gate and the Ajmere Gate.

Fatehpur Sikri is well linked by road. Agra is the nearest with bus, Rail and air connectivity. Frequent bus services are available for Fatehpur Sikri. It takes around one hour. Fatehpur Sikri has a small railway station. One can take train from Agra Fort station that goes via Fatehpur Sikri. Another direction is through Bharatpur, it has a major railway station.

There are plenty of guesthouses and lodges in Fatehpur Sikri. Most of them are located around the village. These guesthouses are embellished with traditional style representing the older times of Akbar. The walls of these houses are decorated with antique paintings highlighting different postures of Akbar.

One of the best ways to explore this monument is through Agra tour which offers you to visit to not only this tomb but also many other monuments of Agra. With this tour package, you can go into the back history of Shah Jahan.