Perched atop a rocky ridge 37 km west of Agra, Fatehpur Sikri came into being four centuries ago when the Emperor Akbar, not yet 28 years old, created the first planned city in Indo-Islamic style. The city was actualised with great energy, but was completely abandoned a little more than a decade later.

In 1568, Akbar was secure and powerful but he had no son and heir. His search for blessing for the birth of a successor brought him to the Sufi mystic Shaikh Salim Chisti, who lived in Sikri village. The saint prophesied the birth of three sons and soon after was born Prince Salim, later to become Emperor Jahangir. In gratitude for the blessing Akbar decided to create imperial residences in Sikri, which would function as a joint capital with Agra. As a mark of his faith and his recent victories, he named his new city Fatehpur Sikri. Akbar was a keen builder and the plan of Fatehpur Sikri reveals an architectural mastermind at work. Research has proved that it was planned on a definite mathematical grid.

The siting of the Jama Masjid marked the actual beginning of the city which came up around it. The palace courts were laid out parallel to the cardinally aligned mosque and the sequential order of the palaces were emphasised by change in level. The most public space was at the lowest level, while the royal harem was at the highest.

Fatehpur Sikri is built in red sandstone, and is a beautiful blend of Hindu and Islamic architectural elements. The sandstone is richly ornamented with carving and fretwork. Fatehpur Sikri was abandoned 14 years after its creation. A shortage of water is believed to be the reason. Today it is a ghost city, its architecture is in a perfect state of preservation, and wandering through the palaces it is easy to imagine that this was once a royal residence and a dynamic cultural centre.

Air
Kheria Airport at Agra – 40 km.

Rail
Agra Cantt Railway Station 40 km (see Agra for rail connections)

Road
Fatehpur Sikri is connected to Agra and neighbouring centres by regular bus services of UPSRTC. Some of the major road distances are:
Bharatpur – 25 km. 
Jaipur – 225 km. 

Hotel Sher-E-Punjab, By-Pass Road. Phone: (05619)2238. 
Prince Tourist Lodge, near Bus-Stand. 
Archaeological Survey of India Guest House. For Reservation, contact: A.S.I. Office, 22, Mall Road, Agra. 

UP Tourism Accommodation
Gulistan Tourist Complex (UPSTDC). Phone: (05619)2490. 

Private Living Quarter
These are at the southern end of the quadrangle, clustered around a pool, the Anup Talao. The structures here include Akbar’s library, the scene of his intellectual activity. A window overlooked the Daftarkhana, or record office. Above this is the Khwabgah, `the palace of dreams’ or Akbar’s bedroom. This whole space was warmed or cooled by water channels. Nearby, the Turkish Sultan’s Palace is an exquisite pavilion, carved with Persian, Turkish and even Chinese motifs.

Mariam’s Palace
The women’s quarters lie to the east of the `male zone’. A small doorway leads to Mariam’s Palace, the residence popularly ascribed to Akbar’s Gaon wife. Till even as late as the 19th century, its interior were richly embellished with gold.

Jodhabai’s Palace
The largest of all the palaces, it housed Akbar’s queens. Here stylistic elements of Gujarat, Mandu and Gwalior are blended with traditional Islamic designs. Its blue tiled roof is the only splash of colour in Fatehpur Sikri.

Hawa Mahal
A small screened wind tower attached to the woman’s palace.

Birbal’s Palace
This ornately carved palace is ascribed to Birbal, the legendary wit and Akbar’s favourite courtier though it is unlikely he lived in the women’s quarters.

Panch Mahal
This is an extraordinary 5-storied columnar structure set in the corner and female zones of the palace. A pleasure pavilion, it was used by Akbar for his special consorts. Commands a grand view of the palaces below.

Jama Masjid
The first, largest and highest building in Fatehpur Sikri, is entered by the Badshahi Darwaza in the east. The prayer chamber is splendidly painted.

Salim Chisti’s Tomb
The white marble, jewel-like tomb of the saint lies in the courtyard of the mosque. Its interior is ornamented with mother-of-pearl, lapis-lazuli and topaz. It has became a popular wish-fulfilling shrine.

Buland Darwaza
When Akbar returned to Fatehpur Sikri after successful campaign of Gujarat the victory arch was constructed. The southern entry to the mosque was remodelled into a stupendous, 15 storied high gateway.