Fatehpur Sikri Ancient Mughal City

Fatehpur Sikri:

Fatehpur Sikri means the ‘city of victory’. The city is located on a low hill of the Vindhya mountain range and is only 35 kilometres from Agra. At this place, the Mughal dynasty founder Babur did a battle and won over Rana Sanga of Mewar. In gratitude to the people of Mewar, he named the place Shukri, which means ‘thanks’. During the Akbar time, the village ‘Shukri’ was occupied by stone cutters. Then the famous Muslim astrologer and Sufi Saint Shaikh Salim Chishti settled here and gave preachers to his devotees.

Akbar Visit Shukri City:

In 1566 AD, the great Mughal Emperor Akbar came to power, and for many years, he was not blessed with children. So in 1568 AD, Akbar went to the Sufi Saint and asked for the birth of an heir. The Saint blessed him and said the heir would be born soon. On August 30, 1569, AD, Akbar’s wife gave birth to a boy child. Akbar felt very happy and named the boy Salim, and two years later, he decided to move the capital to Sikri.

Akbar Built Fatehpur Sikri City:

There were also some political issues to moving the capital to Sikri. Sikri is a strategic location in Rajasthan and is close to the Gujarat region. Akbar thought the traders could trade with Arabs using the Gujarat coastal area. In 1571 AD, the capital construction started and continued for fifteen years. Akbar spent much of his time in Sikri. Due to some political issues, he abandoned Sikri in 1586 AD. During that time, Akbar was busy making wars with Kabul and Kandahar, So historians believe he left the city.

Fatehpur Sikri After Akbar:

However, the city was the place for many historical events. In 1619 AD, emperor Jahangir spent three months here when the plague spread in Agra. In the early 17th century, many queen mothers made this city their hometown. Muhammad Shah refurbished the town for his coronation celebrations. Later the city was deserted up to British Viceroy Lord Curzon restoring the glory of FAthipur Sikri. He supported the archaeological surveyors in doing the restoration works to bring the city into the Historical magnificent monument.

Architecture of Fatehpur Sikri:

The city’s architecture is well-sophisticated; every monument shows the Mughal architectural style. Fatehpur Sikri provides an excellent charm for tourists. During the Mughal period, the town was not an attractive destination, but now, without visiting Fatehpur Sikri, your tour couldn’t be completed. The town is only 26 Kilometres away from Agra city. The city is so large and decentralized. There are no landmark buildings here, and you can see four isolated buildings on the corners of the city. Those attractive buildings are Diwan-i-Khas and Songkran Makara. UNESCO declared the town one of the world heritage sites.