Fatehpur Sikri - the walled town 🇮🇳 India

Fatehpur Sikri bears exceptional testimony to the Mughal civilisation at the end of the 16th century. It offers a unique example of architectural ensembles of very high quality, constructed between 1571 and 1585. Its form and layout strongly influence the evolution of Indian town planning, notably at Shah Jahanabad, or Old Delhi. The Hiran Minar, meaning Deer Tower, is located north and west of the High Thipol, outside the palace complex. Measuring 21 metres in height, the circular tower's plan is octagonal at its base, and is topped with a chowdhury. The circular part of the tower is decorated with stone spikes, and a circular balcony projects, on stone corbels, from the upper part of the tower. Caravan Sarai is near Hathipol. The building was built as a guesthouse for important persons or traders. The interior of the sarai has a spacious quadrangle court. Caravan Sarai is located on the slope of the ridge, which was beautifully utilised by terraced construction. It is rectangular in plan, having its main entrance in the middle of the north-west side. The gateway stands over a small plinth, which was broken in the middle to allow access to the main entrance archway, flanked on the sides by two smaller ones. The smaller arches are also decorated with marble. The soffits of these arches were once decorated with stucco work in geometrical designs. Akbar's interest in Fatehpur Sikri was justified not only by its strategic position, but by the history that his ancestor, Babur, has with the site. The city touches the easternmost tip of Rajasthan and is located on the main route between Agra, the Mughal centre of power, and Ajmer, the heavily frequented annual pilgrimage site of Mundun Din Kristi's tomb. The shift to Fatehpur Sikri could additionally be seen as a way for Akbar to better control his nobles, composed of Rajputs, Turks, Afghans and Persians, by uprooting them from their territories Jodhabai's palace is the largest and most important part of the imperial harem, having all facilities, provisions and safeguards. The name Jodhabai is a misnomer in itself. It is most widely accepted that the building was for Ranivas, or Zenani, Diodi. Hindu motifs such as swans, parrots, elephants, lotus flowers, Srivatsa, Marx and Gant Mala decorate the interior. The colonnaded Dalan contains curvilinear square pillars with beautiful mouldings and extremely graceful brackets. Diwan-i-Am, or the Hall of Public Audience, is encircled by a series of porticos, broken up by the insertion of the imperial box where Akbar, surrounded by his ministers and officers, meted out justice. This box communicates directly with the imperial palace as it is flanked to the north by the Hall of Private Audience, or Jewel House, a monument known for its central plan, which comprises an extraordinary capital surmounted by a circular balcony or throne. North-east of the Anup Talaw is a heavily ornamented chamber, popularly referred to as the Pavilion of the Turkish Sultana and now more simply referred to as the Anup Talaw Pavilion. According to some, Akbar used this pavilion to receive visitors and honoured guests. Carved with floral and geometric patterns, the main chamber is one of the most richly ornamented structures of the entire complex. Opulent carvings adorn dado panels, columns, pilasters, double columns, brackets and freezers. Every square metre of the interior dado panel is covered with vegetable and animal motifs, with distinctive borders of hexagons and swastikas. The Anup Talaw, or Peerless Pool, was completed in 1576 on a wide platform to the north of the Imperial Apartments in the Mahalikas Courtyard. Enclosed by a complex of halls, pavilions and wide-covered colonnaded passageways, the Mahalikas was formerly entirely screened off from the Pachisi Court. The Anup Talaw is a red sandstone masonry tank, square in plan and bilaterally symmetrical. A square island platform stands at its centre. Stone bridges are supported by stone columns with bracket capitals. Another name for the Anup Talaw, the Char Chamad, refers to these four bridges. Pachisi Court is the pavilion close to the Diwani Am. The paving of this courtyard has been set in black and white, like a gigantic chessboard on which the game Pachisi was played. The interesting part of Pachisi is that the game was played with humans as chessmen, with both players sitting on either side and commanding the moves. It is said that Emperor Akbar played Pachisi at this court, using slave girls as the chess pieces. The Panj Mahal is a rectangular colonnaded structure, open on all sides and built from local red sandstone. As its name implies, the building is comprised of five levels, with the ground floor and the upper floors decreasing in dimension as they rise, forming an asymmetrical pyramid stacked over the south-east corner. The final, fifth level is a domed chatri. The total height of the structure equals the total length of its ground floor. However, the building appears vertically dominant, perhaps due to its being raised on a plinth above the level of the public court. Its function is unknown. Some assumptions hold that it served as a pleasure resort for the Emperor. To the south-east of the Ankh Michuli is a red sandstone domed pavilion, a typical element of Indian architecture that was widely adopted by the Mughals. Called a chatri, and literally meaning umbrella, the function of this specific chatri is unknown. Popular legend calls it the astrologer's seat. Although records do state that Akbar used to consult a group of astrologers, philosophers and yogis, there is no surviving source that verifies the assignment of a seat to one of them. To the west stands a building that is assumed to have been one of the treasuries of the complex. The fanciful name popularly assigned to the structure, the blind man's bluff, refers to the game that Akbar supposedly played here with the ladies of the zenana. The freestanding structure, situated in the centre of this courtyard, has come to be identified as diwan-i-qas. Other theories describe this structure as having been used for religious discussions or possibly as a jewel house where the Emperor would store and inspect his gemstones. The building's plan is unique and has attracted many interpretations based on its symbolism. Built in red sandstone, it is a square, symmetrical building on the exterior. From without, it appears double-storied. Its four elevations are identical. On the ground floor, each elevation is pierced along its central vertical axis by a doorway. A peripheral balcony with a jarly-filled stone balustrade, supported by heavily decorated core bells, runs at the height of the first floor above ground level. The predominant element of its interior is a massive ornamental column, square at its base and octagonal at the shaft, located in the centre of the space. A massive and more imposing gateway is on the southern side of the courtyard, known as the boulan de la vase, or lofty gate. It may have been created to commemorate Akbar's victory in Guajarat or in the Deccan. A multi-storied, semi-octagonal structure, it measures about 40 metres east-west and 20 metres north-south and contains large rooms, passages and stairways. Like the rest of the mosque, the gateway contains Hindu architectural elements. However, its simple OG arch is in the style of early Mughal architecture, reminiscent of Humayun's tomb in Delhi, which was created either by Akbar or his mother. The boulan de la vase is clad in red and yellow sandstone, while the rest of the mosque complex is clad predominantly in red sandstone. The exterior elevation of the boulan de la vase rises to a height of 40 metres above the level of the mosque's court. The gate is accessed from the outside via a flight of three-sided, cascading steps, rising 12 metres from the level of the road. The Friday Mosque of Fatehpur Sikri is the sacred complex of the fortified imperial city built by Akbar between 1571 and 1585. A congregational mosque organised around a large courtyard, it was the largest mosque in India at the time of its construction. Its completion, according to an inscription, can be dated to 1571. The mosque complex, as well as the palace complex, contain similarities to earlier structures in Gujarat and Janapur. The northern, southern and eastern sides of the courtyard are filled with spacious arcades, or dalans. The dalans are organised in two continuous bays. The inner bay is composed of small hoodras, or cells, likely used as sleeping chambers for pilgrims and practitioners. The outer bay is a continuous arcade with broad, pointed arches supported on square pillars. It forms the courtyard edge. These arches are not true arches, but are composed of two inclined stone slabs. Stone lintels, located above the apex of the arches, transfer the load to the columns below. The tomb of Salim Kisti is located within the Friday Mosque complex, which is located at the southern end of the Fatehpur Sikri palace complex. It occupies a prominent position within the mosque courtyard, with the Bullan Darwaza facing its main entrance. The original sepulchre was built by Akbar between 1571 and 1580 to honour the Sufi saint Salim Kisti. Legend has it that Akbar, who lacked an heir, sought assistance from Salim Kisti. The son then born to Akbar was named Salim after the saint and later became known as Jenakir. The tomb is a white marble structure raised on a plinth. Its ornamentation and construction are largely inspired by Gujarati tomb architecture and include Hindu, Jain and Islamic elements. The Padma, or lotus motif, is found in the spandrels of the arches and Chakra motifs are found on the struts, along with more traditional Islamic motifs and Arabic inscriptions. The tomb of Saint Salim Kisti continues to be an important pilgrimage destination for Hindus and Muslims alike, particularly for would-be mothers. The wonderful monuments of the Fatehpur Sikri are recognised for their beautiful architectural features worldwide. Moreover, the entire city of Fatehpur Sikri has been listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.