Forty kilometres west of Agra sits Fatehpur Sikri — the "Victory City" built by Mughal emperor Akbar in the 1570s to honour the Sufi saint Salim Chishti, who had predicted the birth of his son.
Akbar occupied his new red-sandstone capital for only 14 years before mysteriously abandoning it, probably due to water shortages. Its palaces, mosques and audience halls remain almost intact — a Mughal city frozen at its peak.
Buland Darwaza — the Gate of Victory
The 54-metre Buland Darwaza is the largest gateway in the world. Akbar built it in 1602 to celebrate his conquest of Gujarat.
You climb 42 steps to reach its base. A Persian inscription reads: "Jesus, Son of Mary said: The world is a bridge, pass over it, but build no houses upon it" — a startling epigraph on a Muslim gate about a Christian prophet.
Diwan-i-Khas — The Hall of Central Pillar
The Diwan-i-Khas has one of the most extraordinary rooms in Mughal architecture: a single carved central column that flares out at the top into a circular platform.
From this platform four narrow walkways connect to the corners of the hall. Here Akbar held theological debates with scholars of every religion — Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains, Zoroastrians — the roots of his syncretic Din-i-Ilahi faith.
Tomb of Salim Chishti
Within the great courtyard of the Jama Masjid stands a small pearl-white marble tomb — that of Sufi saint Salim Chishti.
Devotees of every religion still tie threads to its jali screens to make wishes. It is Fatehpur’s most active shrine, contrasting the empty palaces around it.
Visiting
Fatehpur Sikri is easy to combine with the Taj Mahal — most visitors do both in a single day out of Agra.
Open every day. Beware persistent unofficial guides — hire a licensed ASI guide at the entrance if you want commentary.