Fatehpur Sikri
Our tour guide says:
“…stopping at deserted capital city of Fatehpur Sikri. This abandoned capital of the Mughals is a perfectly preserved city at the height of the empire’s splendour. The city divided into religious and secular parts has interesting well-sculpted buildings“
Lonely Planet says:
“This magnificent fortified ghost city…was the short lived capital of the Mughal Empire between 1571 and 1585, during the reign of Emperor Akbar. Akbar visited Sikri to consult the Sufi saint Shaikh Salim Christi, who predicted the birth of an heir to the Mughal throne. When the prophecy came true, Akbar built his new capital here. Although a
brilliant Indo-Islamic masterpiece, the city was erected in an area that suffered from water shortages and was abandoned shortly after Akbar’s death. The well-preserved palace buildings and the still-used mosque are a superb reminder of the Mughals at their architectural peak, and you can wander around other ruins scattered behind the mosque and the mint.“
We say: Really? Another palace? Really? Our tour guide tells us that this place was built by Akbar, the grandfather of the man that built the Taj Mahal. The grandfather liked red sandstone and the Shah Jahan, grandson liked white marble. Akbar was really open to religion and culture and the
architectural style of his palace shows the influence of Arabic, Indian and Christian designs. He also had three wives, one Hindu, one Muslim and one Christian. His favorite wife (sorry I forgot which one) had a huge palace built for her because she bore him a son. The other two wives had modest bungalow palaces built for them.
Gate entrance to the Mosque. Those black spots on the dome are |
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Chris’ moral dilemma. Want to see the monkey do tricks but monkey |