Towards the end of the C16th, the Moghul emperor Akbar, fed up with overcrowded Agra (and who can blame him?), decided to build a new capital city. Straddling a rocky ridge with commanding views over the countryside, Fatehpur Sikri was an impressive choice of location. However, within 20 years or so of completion, the city was abandoned due to the salinity of an already meager water supply. Unlike the Jami Masjid, aligned to face towards Mecca, the palace complex follows the natural topography of the ridge. Entry to the complex is R280, and it's open from dawn to dusk. Once in, we stood there, clutching our respective guidebooks, all of which sent us off in opposite directions to start exploring. After a while, I started to suffer from guidebook fatigue syndrome, so I put it away and wandered at leisure. It was only after I'd done the rounds and gotten the feel of a place that I got it back out. I saw courtyard after courtyard of beautiful palaces, pavilions, and halls, all a sympathetic blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture. You would think that such a mix would be a bit messy, but the huge open spaces between the buildings mean that each can be viewed independently of the others, yet at the same time, the whole panorama is aesthetically pleasing, partly due to the rich and various hues of the pink and red sandstone and partly because the craftsmenship in each building is of the highest quality. In particular, the interior of the the Diwan-i-Khas is stunning. The centrepiece of this building is the most exquisitely carved column called the Throne Pillar, which holds a circular platform connected to the balconies around the edge of the room by four carved stone walkways.
From this central pillar, Akbar would hold discussions with leaders of various religions within his kingdom. The carvings around the base of the pillar are all symbols taken from Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jain, and Hindu beliefs. Set into the slabs of the courtyard outside this building is the outline of an enormous boardgame known as pachisi. Not unlike ludo, except that Akbar used slavegirls as the pieces for the game, which can't have been much fun for them, as some of the games lasted for months.
It is actually impossible to describe each building in detail, as all have their own merits and superb attention to detail, regardless of the architectural derivation. Even the functional buildings, such as the caravanserai and the mint have not been neglected in terms of craftsmanship. And this tradition of high-quality stonework continues today, as in many areas of the complex, local artisans were at work carving and restoring delicate lattice work or, when the boss wasn't looking, producing swift but skillful pieces of stone carved with elephants and peacocks at R10 for the tourists. Most visitors to Fatehpur Sikri usually stay for a day, but with so much to see then, another day would not be time wasted.