Travel Guide & Tourist Places in Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri is a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site. It falls within the popular golden triangle tourist circuit of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. Fatehpur Sikri is the same site where around four centuries ago, the third Mughal Emperor Akbar travelled to seek divine blessing from the Sufi saint Salim Chisti. After Salim Chisti blessings the Mughal ruler three official wives would bear three sons. The Mughal ruler thanked the saint by building a beautiful mosque that has a 176 ft Buland Darwaza. The king also shifted his capital from Agra to this place and the city served as his capital city for the next 15 years.
During the period when Fatehpur Sikri was the Mughal capital the city was dotted with the palaces and royal apartments. The palaces had elaborate baths and several formal gardens as also statehouses, public and private audience halls, delicate stone screens, a treasury brimming with gold, silver and precious gems. In its prime glory the buildings of the city were having marble and semi-precious stones which used to reflect the rays sun during dusk; If one looked at the city from a distance it looked as if the city was on fire. Sadly just after 15 years Akbar had declared Fatehpur Sikri as its capital, the king had to abandon it in 1585 due to severe water shortage. Over the years time has taken its toll on this city but now the Archaeological Survey of India has taken extreme steps to salvage this heritage city.
Presently Fatehpur Sikri, is an important heritage site as here lies the ruins of what the greatest Mghaul ruler Akbar had once built. But one can still witness some of the most beautiful sites built by the ruler. Some of the most significant sites of the city are the five storyed Panch Mahal, the palaces of the queens, the Akbar private audience chamber, the treasury, central courtyard that is suspended over a water pool.
There are no hotels in Fatehpur Sikri but one can choose to stay in hotels in Agra as Agra is just 39 kilometers from the city.
