Fatehpur Sikri/Agra

April 12, 1986
Fatehpur Sikri/Agra
India

I am glad you have decided to join me on this excursion of Fatehpur Sikri city, built 1571 at the orders of the Mughal Emperor, Akbar the Great. This great Emperor had a keen interest in architecture, literature and the arts.

Fatehpur Sikri city is approximately 26 miles west of Agra, the buildings at Fatehpur Sikri blended both Islamic and Hindu elements in their architectural style, Red Sandstone is the material used in this city. Fatehpur Sikri was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only 10-15 years. Due to the lack of an adequate water supply, Fatehpur Sikri was abandoned and is a Ghost City, to where Akbar never returned to his one time Capital. Within 20 years the Capital was shifted to Lahore.

I recall our tour guide showing us this huge Chess Board painted on one of the several courtyards where humans were used as chess pieces and moved at the Emperor’s command.

The observatory here was built by Sawai Jai Singh in 1726 to measure, local time, the sun’s declination of the fixed stars and planets to determine eclipses, all this in India dating back to 1726.

All of the above information I have taken from my photo album of our 1986 vacation. Due to space limitations, I have had to make the decision of posting just a few photos of Fatehpur Sikri, even though there is so much history in this city. The short time we spent did not do it justice.

Fatehpur Sikri city the ghost town is a marvel for engineers and builders. I don’t think you ladies would want to spend a morning walking through this ghost town. Eric (my husband) being an engineer was fascinated with Fatehpur Sikri city.

An epitome of love:



Time to move on to Agra where we shall stop and visit the magnificent Taj Mahal, a monument built to show the world of a beautiful queen and an emperor’s love for each other. Mumtaz Mahal made Shahjahan promise that he would build a tomb to remind the world of their great love, where he titled her “Chosen one of the Palace”, she died giving birth to their fourteenth child in 1631.

It took twenty-two years to create this Jewel in Agra. For over three hundred years the world has gazed at the wonder of this monument a building of a love immortalized in marble.

A sad ending to this saga on the Taj Mahal, 1657 Shah Jahand fell ill, his son Aurangzeb imprisoned his father and seized the throne. Shah Jahan remained in captivity until his death in 1666, spending these last days of his life staring into a small mirror’s reflection of the Taj Mahal where laid his beloved Mumtaz Mahal, dying with this mirror in his hand.





Photo taking of the inner chamber of the Taj is forbidden where one sees the magnificent craftsmanship. Once again thanks to the Internet photos can be obtained of the Taj Mahal with complete History for those who want to learn more about India and one of the Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal.

For me the calligraphy seen on the Taj adds to it’s mystery, if only one were able to read these verses. The calligrapher Arranat Khan a Persian, displayed verses from their Qur’an which adds to her mystery.

Our Tour Guide translated one of the several verses for me: “O Soul, thou are at rest. Return to the Lord, at peace.”

Makes one want to know what the other verses say, this verse is so beautifully expressed, to the one you love, lying in a tomb.




We arrive at hotel Maurya Sheraton Hotel in Agra such a drop to today’s living, very incepted, after spending the previous nights in Palaces converted into Hotels.

Having spent this whole day touring both Fatehpur Sikri and the Taj Mahal we welcomed this over night rest at Maurya Sheraton Hotel, knowing it was an early rise tomorrow for our flight to Khajuraho, India.


Always hoping you will join us at the next stop. DV, we see you at Khajuraho, India.

God bless
Clare