Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) is considered something of a romantic enigma, built by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar on the edge of the fertile Yamuna basin on a rocky ridge during the second haldf of the 16th century.
Situated on the road from Agra to Ajmer, Sikri was the home of Muinudin Chishti, a Sufi saint who Akbar revered. The city served as Akbar’s capital from 1571 to 1585, before the Mughal capital was shifted to Lahore, and subsequently Agra.
The complex of monuments and temples, are all built in a uniform architectural style and include one of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid.
Although its prominence in Mughal empire gradually faded in later years, the evocative red sandstone palaces, court buildings, royal baths and mansions of the noblemen of court remain in excellent condition even today, allowing visitors to imagine royal life here in bygone days.
