Fatehpur Sikri is a city and a municipal board in Agra district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The historical city was constructed by Mughal emperor Akbar beginning in 1570 and served as the empire's capital from 1571 until 1585. Though the court took 15 years to build, it was abandoned after only 14 years because the water supply was unable to sustain the growing population. The surviving palace and mosque are a tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site itself is a ghost town.

Important buildings

The buildings of Fatehpur Sikri show a synthesis of various regional schools of architectural craftsmanship such as Gujarat and Bengal. This was because indigenous craftsmen from various regions were used for the construction of the buildings. Influences from Hindu and Jain architecture are seen hand in hand with Islamic elements. The building material predominantly used is red sandstone

Some of the important buildings in this city, both religious and secular are:

Anup Talao: A tank with a central platform and four bridges leading up to it.

Buland Darwaza: One of the gateways to the Jama Masjid, a stupendous piece of architecture from the outside, gradually making a transition to a human scale in the inside.

Diwan-i-Am : A building typology found in many cities where the ruler meets the general public. In this case, it is a pavilion-like multi-bayed rectangular structure fronting a large open space.

Diwan-i-Khas: Famous for its central pillar with thirty-six volutes supporting a circular platform for Akbar. It is here that Akbar had representatives of different religions discuss their faiths.

Hujra-i-Anup Talao: Said to be the residence of Akbar's Muslim wife, although this is disputed due to its small size.

Jama Masjid: The mosque, built in the manner of Indian mosques, with liwans around a central courtyard. A distinguishing feature is the row of chhatri over the sanctuary.

Mariam-uz-Zamani's Palace: The building of Akbar's wife shows Gujarati influence and is built around a courtyard, with special care being taken to ensure privacy.

Naubat Khana: Near the entry, where important arrivals are announced.

Pachisi Court: A square marked out as a large board game, the precursor to modern day Ludo game where people served as the playing pieces.

Panch Mahal: A five-storied palatial structure. The bottom floor has 176 intricately carved columns.

Birbal's House: The house of Akbar's favorite minister, who was a Hindu. Notable features of the building are the horizontal sloping sunshades or chajjas and the brackets which support them.

Tomb of Salim Chisti: A white marble encased tomb within the Jama Masjid's courtyard.