Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri from nothing in the 1570s, moved his court here, and left within about fourteen years — the water could not support a capital. Because it was abandoned rather than rebuilt over, it is the most complete MughalMughalRelating to the Muslim dynasty of Central Asian descent that ruled most of the subcontinent from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century.Read in the glossary city anywhere: courtyards, palaces and a mosque standing more or less as they were left.
The architecture is Akbar's argument made in stone. The Diwan-i-Khas is a single chamber built around one carved central pillar with bridges radiating from it, and he is said to have sat at the centre while men of every faith argued around him. The Buland Darwaza, fifty-four metres of gateway raised to mark the conquest of Gujarat, remains the tallest gate in the world.
Visiting Well
- An hour from Agra, and best taken on the way to or from Jaipur rather than as a round trip.
- The palace complex is ticketed; the Jama Masjid and Salim Chishti's dargah beyond the Buland Darwaza are free and separately entered.
- Guides and helpers at the dargah can be insistent — an arranged guide settles it before you arrive.
How Elevated India Arranges It
We put Fatehpur Sikri on the Agra to Jaipur leg with a historian guide and reach it early, while the sandstone is still warm rather than blinding, and keep the dargahDargahThe shrine built over the tomb of a Sufi saint, visited as a place of pilgrimage by people of many faiths.Read in the glossary for last so the visit ends in the quietest courtyard rather than the largest.
Questions, Answered
Why was Fatehpur Sikri abandoned?
Water. The site could not supply a court of that size, and Akbar moved the capital to Lahore within about fourteen years of completing it. The city was never reoccupied, which is why it survives so intact.
How long do you need at Fatehpur Sikri?
Two to three hours for the palace complex and the mosque together. It sits an hour from Agra on the Jaipur road, so it works best built into that drive rather than as a separate excursion.
Journeys That Take You There
Explore the destination guide: Agra, Uttar Pradesh ↗