As it emerged from one of the stories of the Arabian Nights , as a striking red utopia in the middle of nowhere, like the grandiose dream of an emperor that's the city of Fatehpur Sikri . An emperor and not a maharaja being in India? Yes, an emperor, and Mughal nothing less: Akbar, the grandfather of Shah Jahan I, the builder of the Taj Mahal. With these premises, it was clear that we had to include it in our route through India and that there would be a lot to see in Fatehpur Sikri.
The fact is that it was forgotten, which explains that none of its large buildings - mix and palaces - were demolished to build others. Known at present as "the ghost town", it is part of the list of UNESCO World Heritage since 1986.
By the way, as much as it is known as a ghost town, today there are train and bus stations, hotels, restaurants and running water in Fatehpur Sikri, all around the old city, which is still uninhabited.
Its size impresses, not in vain is the Darwaza - this type of monumental gate - highest in the world , with about 54 meters of height from the ground, including the 42 steps. Climbing them in full sun, as we did, leaves anyone exhausted! It was built to commemorate Akbar's victory over Gujarat.
Although the Mughal emperor Akbar was known for his tolerance , the only religious construction preserved in Fatehpur Sikri is a mosque, the Jama mosque . As in any self-respecting mosque, you have to take off your shoes to enter and cover your shoulders and legs. In my case, they left me a kind of sarong because I was wearing Bermuda shorts - in June in India it was even skin-deep.
The patio is the only thing that can be visited, a gigantic patio inside which there are sellers of flowers and "threads". Threads? Yes, they serve as an offering at the tomb of Salim Chishti , a Sufi saint buried on the side of the courtyard. The origin of this custom goes back to the journey of Akbar to Fatehpur Sikri looking for the saint to ask for offspring. Since then, the thread tied in the latticework of the grave has become a petition for children.
The tomb of Salim Chishti was ordered by Akbar himself to thank him for the birth of his firstborn, whom he named Salim in his honor, which makes it clear that he did not notice any expenses. A lattice structure of white marble located one meter above the patio in whose center is the tomb of the saint. The tradition is to throw the flowers on the wooden tomb and tie the thread in one of the lattices. We were content with the thread - the price of flowers for tourists was crazy.
After visiting the mosque and this palace, we had more than compensated for the "bad time" of going up to the monumental city in full sun and loaded with backpacks. By the way, there was no slogan at the train station to leave them when we visited Fatehpur Sikri, but it is possible to rent a hotel room for a few hours and leave your luggage inside while you tour the palaces of the abandoned city.
Get to know about the Palace on Wheels train cost and embark your journey to Fatehpur Sikri.
History of Fatehpur Sikri
In the mid-sixteenth century, the area of present-day India where Fatehpur Sikri now stands was part of the Mogul Empire . In fact, Akbar, one of the greatest emperors in Mughal history, chose Fatehpur Sikri as a site for his capital. That explains the amount of huge and luxurious buildings that the city has. For almost fifteen years, it lived up to its name Fatehpur means "victorious city". But that dream did not last forever and, at the death of Akbar, the city was abandoned. Surely the fact that it was built in an area without water wells influenced. It took fifteen years to build it and only lived for fourteen.The fact is that it was forgotten, which explains that none of its large buildings - mix and palaces - were demolished to build others. Known at present as "the ghost town", it is part of the list of UNESCO World Heritage since 1986.
By the way, as much as it is known as a ghost town, today there are train and bus stations, hotels, restaurants and running water in Fatehpur Sikri, all around the old city, which is still uninhabited.
The Buland Darwaza, the First Wonder to See in Fatehpur Sikri
If you've been to Uzbekistan, the huge door of magnificence , Buland darwaza , will remind you of the magnificent ones in the Rajasthan square in Samarkand . Although, while those were covered with blue and green tiles, it is carved in red and beige sandstone and decorated with black and white marble.Its size impresses, not in vain is the Darwaza - this type of monumental gate - highest in the world , with about 54 meters of height from the ground, including the 42 steps. Climbing them in full sun, as we did, leaves anyone exhausted! It was built to commemorate Akbar's victory over Gujarat.
Jama Masjid, the Jama Mosque of Fatehpur Sikri
Although the Mughal emperor Akbar was known for his tolerance , the only religious construction preserved in Fatehpur Sikri is a mosque, the Jama mosque . As in any self-respecting mosque, you have to take off your shoes to enter and cover your shoulders and legs. In my case, they left me a kind of sarong because I was wearing Bermuda shorts - in June in India it was even skin-deep.
The patio is the only thing that can be visited, a gigantic patio inside which there are sellers of flowers and "threads". Threads? Yes, they serve as an offering at the tomb of Salim Chishti , a Sufi saint buried on the side of the courtyard. The origin of this custom goes back to the journey of Akbar to Fatehpur Sikri looking for the saint to ask for offspring. Since then, the thread tied in the latticework of the grave has become a petition for children.
The Tomb of Salim Chishti
Bargain, and much, with the sellers of threads, because it seems that without one of them it is not possible to get close and, even less, to enter the grave and it is very worthwhile: it is one of the wonders that you have to see in Fatehpur Sikri through luxury train Palace on Wheels.The tomb of Salim Chishti was ordered by Akbar himself to thank him for the birth of his firstborn, whom he named Salim in his honor, which makes it clear that he did not notice any expenses. A lattice structure of white marble located one meter above the patio in whose center is the tomb of the saint. The tradition is to throw the flowers on the wooden tomb and tie the thread in one of the lattices. We were content with the thread - the price of flowers for tourists was crazy.
What to See in Fatehpur Sikri
Beyond the huge mosque, there is the civil zone of Fatehpur Sikri where the palaces and pavilions stand . Used by Akbar as a residence and as official buildings in which he received foreign visitors and met with his advisers, nowadays they are the main attraction of the visit to the city. Go ahead a warning: calling itself the abandoned city - it was abandoned in 1585 - many of these buildings are not known for sure what use they had . The guides move between conjectures and pure imagination, depending on how official they are.The Palace of Jodh Bai
The palace of Jodh Bai is the largest of all of Fatehpur Sikri and the first one you find arriving from the mosque. It was part of the harem and in theory, it was the residence of the imperial princess Mariam-uz-Zamani . In a square shape, it mixes the Hindu style in the columns -Mariam-uz-Zamani was Hindu-, the Islamic in the domes -the Akbar religion- and the Persian in the blue of its tiles.After visiting the mosque and this palace, we had more than compensated for the "bad time" of going up to the monumental city in full sun and loaded with backpacks. By the way, there was no slogan at the train station to leave them when we visited Fatehpur Sikri, but it is possible to rent a hotel room for a few hours and leave your luggage inside while you tour the palaces of the abandoned city.
Get to know about the Palace on Wheels train cost and embark your journey to Fatehpur Sikri.
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