The historical places are a world of memories, a world of deeds, a
world of tears, and a world of glories..

The captivating city of Fatehpur Sikri got constructed in 1571 by the Mughal
emperor Akbar in the honour of Salim Chisti, a resident saint of Sikri. The
place is located at about 26 miles west of Agra. It was inscribed as UNESCO
World Heritage site in 1986. King Akbar was illiterate himself he took a
keen interest in literature, architecture and arts. He supervised the making
of the Fatehpur Sikri and is said that he even quarried stone along with his
workmen. Climb out of an apartment and you would find a tree perfectly
framed in a window. The layout of the city shows a conscious attempt to
produce rich spatial effects by the organization of built forms around open
spaces in interesting ways. The architecture of Fatehpur Sikri is
outstanding and is definitely a crowning architectural legacy of Akbar.
History Behind The Making
There is a popular legend that goes as - since Akbar was without an heir
for a long time, he made a pilgrimage to the renowned Sufi saint, Sheik
Salim Chisti, to seek his blessings. When a son -- later to be known as
Jahangir -- was born to him, Akbar named him after the saint as a mark of
his gratitude and built the new capital to mark his birth. Construction of
the new ceremonial capital, with its elaborate palaces, formal courtyards,
reflecting pools, harems, tombs and a great mosque, commenced in 1571. Since
then the city has become a great tourist spot.
Places to look for....
There are a number
of important buildings in the city of Fatehpur Sikri. Some of them are -
- Jama Masjid or the Friday Mosque
- Buland Darwaza
- Tomb of Shaikh Salim Chisti
- Palace of Jodha Bai
- Birbal Bhawan
The De Facto
Location - Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Built In - 1571
Area - 250 sq. km
Elevation ( gate way )- 45 metres
Best Tim To Visit- October to March
Timings - Sunrise to sunset
Entrance Tariff - Rs. 20 for Indians and Rs. 260 for foreigners.
Access
Air
Agra airport is 7 km from the city center and 3 km from Idgah bus stand.
Major Indian airlines operate daily tourist shuttle flights to Agra,
Khajuraho, Varanasi and back. It only takes 40 minutes from Delhi to Agra.
Road
Idgah bus stand is the main bus stand of Agra, from where one can catch
buses for Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura, Fatehpur-Sikri, etc. Buses for Mathura
also leave from Agra Fort bus stand.
Rail
Agra is well connected by railroad. The main railway station is the Agra
Cantonment station. Agra is well connected by rail to Delhi, Varanasi and
cities of Rajasthan. Trains like Palace on Wheel, Shatabdi, Rajdhani, and
Taj Express are the best choices if you want to reach Agra from Delhi in
luxury.
Did You Know?
- The Buland Darwaza erected in 1602 AD to commemorate Akbar's victory
over the Deccan, is the highest and grandest gateway in India and ranks
among the biggest in the world.
- It is also famous as the Ghost Town.
- Fatehpur Sikri is the best example of the culmination of Hindu and
Muslim architecture.
- The city of Fatehpur Sikri has a population of about 30,000.