Fatehpur Sikri lies about an hour’s drive west of Agra. It has had UNESCO World Heritage status since 1986, but Agra’s sights (such as the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort) are arguably more famous and thus a bigger draw for visitors to the area, especially international ones.
The town was founded in 1571 by Mughal emperor Akbar the Great as his capital. However, it served that role for only a few years and was abandoned in the early 1600s. The site essentially consists of two parts: the royal palaces and the mosque. Both are well worth seeing, but my wife and I found the mosque more impressive.
The complex forms a large rectangle, with high walls surrounding it on all four sides. The photo at the top and the one below show two of the gateways into the mosque.
It is known as the Jama Masjid – i.e. the Friday Mosque, a name it shares with several others in India. Its architecture shows strong Persian influences and its sheer scale is breathtaking.
Spacious arcades along the edges of the complex provide shade from the searing sun – and shelter from the monsoon rains.
A white marble edifice inside the courtyard stands out prominently against the (predominantly red) sandstone of the rest of the complex. It sits just off the northern perimeter wall and is the tomb of Salim Chishti, a Sufi saint who died in 1572. Next to the marble tomb is the (larger) mausoleum of Mughal general Islam Khan.
The photo below shows Salim Chishti’s tomb from a slightly different perspective. It appears to attract more worshippers than other parts of the mosque.
The area between the two mausoleums contains a number of other sarcophagi.
The next photo is of the main prayer area, which is located on the western side of the courtyard. I took it parallel to the outer walls through the internal arches – and am quite pleased with the result. I think it neatly captures the tranquil atmosphere inside as well as the harmonious balance of the architectural design.
I also like the final photo, which I took just as we were leaving. The three young women stood out from the crowd in their colourful dresses and seemed more than happy to pose for us. The prayer area is in the background behind them.
As I said at the beginning, most visitors to Agra do not make it here. Many only come on a day trip, but if you have more time I would argue that an excursion to Fatehpur Sikri is a must. If you are travelling to Agra from Jaipur it is basically on the way. In this case a stop at Abhaneri to take a look at its awe-inspiring stepwell is another must: Chand Baori Stepwell, Abaneri
That’s a most fascinating destination, and an excellent recommendation for travelers to Agra. We missed out on this during our trip to the area, but hope we can see it sometime in the future.
Judy, my wife, and I are among the few travellers that took the time to visit Fatehpur Sikri and we agree it is well worth stopping off for. Thanks for reviving the memory.
You need several hours to fully explore both the palaces and the mosque complex. On our trips through India we tend to reduce lunch to a handful of biscuits – the Indians have superb ones, often spiced with cumin, chillies, or herbs – to cram more sightseeing into the days. Lunchtime is also often a relatively quiet time at the sites, as most other people opt for a sit-down lunch.