17 Top Tourist Places to Visit in Fatehpur Sikri

At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Buland Darwaza or the Gate of Magnificence serves as the main entrance to the Jama Masjid Complex Fort in Fatehpur Sikri of Uttar Pradesh. This massive gate is the highest gateway in the world and it was built in 1576 AD by Akbar to commemorate his victory over Gujarat.

Buland Darwaza is an astounding example of the Mughal architecture. It is made of red and buff sandstone, decorated by white and black marble. One needs to climb a flight of 42 steps in order to reach the gateway, which stands tall at a height of 40 m. The total height of the structure is about 54 m (176 feet) from the ground level. It is a15 storied high gateway acting as the southern entrance of the city of Fatehpur Sikri. It took nearly 12 years to build this magnificent gateway.

It is semi octagonal in plan and two smaller triple storeyed wings on either side. It has three kiosks on its top surrounded by thirteen smaller domed kiosks. There are .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Jama Masjid or Jami Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India and situated on the highest point of the ridge in Fatehpur Sikri Complex. This is one of the most notable tourist attractions to visit in Fatehpur Sikri as part of Agra tour. This mosque was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.

The Jami Masjid was built by Akbar in 1571-72 AD. This is also called Friday mosque. It is the congregational mosque and was perhaps one of the first buildings to be constructed in the complex. It was built under the supervision of Sufi Saint, Sheikh Salim Chishti and his descendants.

The structure of the Jama Masjid is in a rectangular form and is placed on an elevated platform. The mosque has a large courtyard and has gateway entrance from North, South and East. There are series of square shaped chhatris topped by beautiful brackets situated on the other three .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Panch Mahal is five-storey architectural monument located on the northeast direction of Jodha Bai's palace inside the Fatehpur Sikri Fort Complex of Uttar Pradesh.

Panch Mahal was built by Emperor Akbar primarily used as a recreational and pleasure palace by the queens and the other ladies of the court. This is also known as badgir or the wind tower. This pillared pavilion is made of red sand stone comprising of five pavilions, each of which is connected to the next floor by a flight of stairs. The ground floor of the building is made up of 84 pillars that supports the entire structure. As one climbs up the Panch Mahal, the size of the pavilions becomes smaller and the number of pillars supporting the upper floor decreases in number. The first floor has 56 pillars, 20 pillars on second floor, 12 on the third floor and 4 on the fourth level.

The top floor consists of a single dome with floral motifs on top. All the .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Jodha Bai's Palace (or Jodha Bai Ka Rauza) is one of the largest buildings in the complex of Fatehpur Sikri. This Palace was constructed by Akbar for his favorite wife, Jodha Bai who was a Rajput Princess.

According to history, after Akbar conquered Malwa he faced strong resistances from the Rajput kings. Akbar dealt with the problem diplomatically, allowing them to keep their kingdoms and getting into marriage alliances with the princess of the Rajput clan. He married Jodha Bai, sister of Man Singh, the powerful ruler of Jaipur. She was his favorite queen and allowed to worship Hindu deity in her palace.

Jodha Bai Ka Rauza is an excellent example of the fusion of Hindu and Muslim architectures. The palace has distinct Gujarati and Rajasthani architectural patterns. The palace building consists of a rectangular block with a single magnificent gateway on eastern side, which .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Hiran Minar is located close to Caravanserai in Fatehpur Sikri Fort. It is believed that Akbar built Hiran Tower in the memory of his favorite elephant, Hiran. Alternatively, it is also believed that this tower served as a mile post and a light house for the night travelers.

With a height of 21.34 m, Hiran Minar is octagonal at the ground level and circular to the rest of the tower. This is built over an octagonal platform, which in turn stands on a square base. This tower is decorated with an alternate row of hexagons and six point stars. Earlier, elephant tusks were placed emerging from the center of each star, which are now replaced with stone tusks.

The tower is entered through a flat-topped door bordered by sand stone panel and flanked by closed arched panels. There are 53 steps leading to the top inside the tower. One can get a bird's eye view of Fatehpur Sikri from the top of the tower. It is believed that this .....

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At a distance of 27 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station and 58 km from Agra, the Keoladeo National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is situated in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. It is among the top places to visit from Delhi and Agra cities.

Keoladeo National Park is located around a man-made wetland and was created in18th century by Maharaja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur. Formerly the private duck shooting reserve of the Maharajas of Bharatpur and the British Officials, this site was established as a bird sanctuary on 13th March 1976 under the name of Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Later on 10th March 1982, the site was designated as a national park and was named Keoladeo Ghana National Park. In 1985, the Park was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One of the finest bird parks in the world, Keoladeo, the name derives from an ancient Hindu temple, devoted to Lord Shiva, which stands at the center of the park. Ghana means .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Sheikh Salim Chisti Tomb is situated within the Jama Masjid Complex in Fatehpur Sikri Fort of Uttar Pradesh.

Emperor Akbar built the tomb of Sufi Saint Salim Chisti in 1580-81, after the saint died in 1572. The saint Salim Chisti was a successor of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti of Ajmer, and lived in a cavern on the ridge at Sikri. The mausoleum, constructed by Akbar as a mark of his respect for the Sufi saint, who foretold the birth of Akbar's son, who was named Prince Salim after the Sufi Saint and later succeeded Akbar to the throne of the Mughal Empire, as Jahangir.

When Salim Chisthi died, he was buried in the same Sikri complex where he once resided. A tomb was later commissioned that stands in the middle of the courtyard of the Jama Masjid in Sikri Fort. Originally it was built with red sandstone but was later converted in to a marble one in 1606 by Qutubuddin Khan Koka, on orders from Jahangir. Much later in 1866, .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Diwan-i-Khas or Hall of Private Audience is located inside the complex of Fatehpur Sikri Fort.

Diwan-i-Khas is situated in the northeast corner of the royal complex with a huge and richly carved pillar in the center. It is a place where the Emperor meets his private guests and dignitaries. Also known as the jewel house, it is the most intriguing section of the palace complex.

This single storeyed square red sand stone building has four double-storeyed facades. The four beautiful kiosks at each corner of the building are in octagonal shape and have a circular dome with an inverted lotus on the top. The hall is surrounded by richly decorated square balcony.

Doors from all the four sides of the palace lead to a single hall, with a very high ceiling. Bridges which run diagonally from the corners of the gallery connect to a balcony supported by a Lotus shaped Throne Pillar. This stone column supports a flat dome .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Diwan-i-Am or Hall of Public Audience is located inside the complex of Fatehpur Sikri Fort. This is the first enclosure of the palace from the entrance.

Diwan-i-Am was constructed during 1570 to 1580 AD by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar. He heard the petitions of general public every morning in this hall. It is also used for public prayers and celebrations.

This building mainly consisted of three parts; front space for public, center space for the emperor and adjacent space for royal ladies. This is a rectangular structure multiple bays with a large courtyard in the front. The most impressive feature of this structure is the Throne Chamber facing east. It is said that it was so built because of Akbar's belief in sun worship. This chamber showcases a unique stone tiled roof. There are pillars corridors surrounding the three sides which can seat over a thousand audiences. To the west, is the pavilion with the Emperor's throne .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Birbal's Palace is situated in the northwest corner of Jodha Bai's palace inside the complex of Fatehpur Sikri Fort.

Birbal's Palace is one of the important monuments in Fatehpur Sikri and is the residence of Raja Birbal, Akbar's Hindu Prime Minister, one of the most trusted persons and was also one of the Navratnas or Nine Jewels in Akbar's court. It was built in 1571 and is believed to be part of the Imperial Harem and housed Akbar's senior queens, Ruqayya Begum and Salima Begum.

The architecture of the Birbal's Palace is based on the typical Mughal style. It is a two storeyed structure. The ground storey is made up of four rooms, while the upper storey is made up of two rooms and open terraces. These rooms are interconnected with open doorways. The upper rooms are roofed by dome-like towers while the porches have pyramidal roofs, all of which are constructed to keep the interior cool.

There are exquisitely .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Khwabgah is situated towards southern side of Anoop Talao inside the complex of Fatehpur Sikri Fort.

Khwabgah Complex is also called the Dream Palace. It is the most beautiful building of royal complex and it was the personal palace of the Emperor. This double storied building is built with red sandstone. The ground floor is very simple, while the first floor is excellently ornamented.

The building is one of the most well planned buildings of Fatehpur Sikri. It has two rooms at ground floor and a well-ventilated pavilion at the first floor. The rooms at lower floor were probably used as a library and a dining hall. It is believed that the library or Kutub Khana of Akbar had more than 25000 manuscripts along with his important official documents. This complex was also connected to the offices (Dafter Khana) of the royal complex.

The bedroom known as Khilwatkada-i-Khas was surrounded by a pillared verandah .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Turkish Sultana's house is situated to the north-east corner of Anoop Talao inside the complex of Fatehpur Sikri Fort. It is also called Anoop Talao Pavilion.

Built in red sand stone, the exterior and interior of the palace are beautifully ornamented with carvings and it has a balcony on each side. It is believed that this building was the home of two Turkish queens of Akbar called Salima Sultan Begum and Ruqayya Begum. It was probably used as a pleasure pavilion by the Turkish queens attached to the pond.

This is a square building, etched in floral and geometric patterns. The main chamber is one among the richly ornamented structures of the harem complex. The structure comprises of richly carved panels, pilasters, columns, friezes and brackets. It is connected to the ground floor of the Khwabgah complex through a verandah and it has a portico in the west. Both the verandah and portico have stone screens with lattice .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Hathi Pol is situated on southern corner of Caravanserai in the palace complex of Fatehpur Sikri Fort. It was built by the Emperor Akbar between 1571 and 1585. The Hathi pol was probably the imperial entrance to the complex.

The gateway is made up of rubble and finished with red sandstone and marble. The gateway is fortified and contains battlements. The main entrance is a plain structure with a height of 5.2 m. The name Hathi Pol was kept as it was once adorned with two beautiful stone carved elephants of 3.7 m high on either side of the gate. One can see partially survived elephants on both sides of the gateway. There is a 3m wide gallery at the entrance arch which is accessible by a narrow staircase.

Complex Entry Fee: Rs.20 for Indians and Rs.260 for Foreigners.

Timings: 7 AM to 6 PM. Closed on Friday.

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Caravanserai is located near the Hathi Pol near the northern entrance of Fatehpur Sikri Fort. It was built as a guesthouse for important persons and traders.

The Caravanserai was constructed on the slope of a ridge and this feature was used to build a terraced structure. The basic plan of the Serai is rectangular and the main entrance is on the north-western side. The entrance was built over a plinth with the main entrance archway flanked on two sides by two smaller archways. The arches have spandrels made of marble and are ornamented using red sandstone blocks. The smaller arches are also ornamented with the use of marble. The arches once had stucco work which are now faded.

The caravanserai is built in typical Mughal style. There is a spacious quadrangular court inside the Caravanserai. This grand courtyard has rooms built on all its four sides. Besides these rooms, there are also terraces built on southeast side. .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, The Houses of Abul Fazal and his elder brother Faizi are situated behind Jami Masjid in Fatehpur Sikri Fort.

Abul Fazal is a historian during the reign of Akbar. He was one of the Navratnas in Akbar's court. The houses of Abul Fazal and Faizi are made of red sandstone and are very similar in design and layout. The building which lies to the south west is said to be the residence of Abul Fazal. This is a rectangular single-storied building. It has a verandah with three openings in front and two pairs of carved columns. The beautiful brackets supporting the lintels of roof are pretty attractive. The two small chambers on either side of verandah direct to the terrace of the building.

In the houses of Abul Fazal and Faizi, the central room is the largest one with three doors which have flat tops. The central arch is broader which have been ornamented with beautiful rosettes. Originally, the ceiling of the main room and .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Tomb of Islam Khan is situated to the east of Sheikh Salim's tomb within the Jama Masjid Compound in Fatehpur Sikri.

This is the tomb of the general of the Mughal army Islam Khan I. Also the grandson of the Sufi Saint Salim Chisti, his body was laid to rest inside the Jama Masjid courtyard by Emperor Jahangir in the year 1613 AD. The Tomb of Islam Khan is originally served as the Jamaat Khana or common religious house for the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Salim. This courtyard houses 24 graves of the Sheikh's followers.

The tomb is built in red sandstone and is encircled by stone screens partly open to the front. The square building has a 1 m high platform and is enclosed with an arcaded verandah. Each facade has seven bays while the beautifully carved entrance door in the middle of the central façade leads to a courtyard. The central chamber is octagonal in shape and houses the tomb of Islam Khan. It is surmounted .....

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At a distance of 1.5 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Archaeological Museum is situated about 100 m from Diwan-i-Am in Fatehpur Sikri Fort. The structure housing the Archaeological Museum is known as Treasury Building, a centrally protected monument. It was built during Akbar's period. It was in a dilapidated condition and Archaeological Survey of India restored it extensively during 2002-04.

The Museum showcases both pre-Mughal and Mughal artifacts excavated at Fatehpur Sikri. There are four galleries in the Museum. First Gallery displays the objects including micro lithic stone tools of pre-historic period collected during surface exploration from Rasulpur and Patsal near Fatehpur Sikri, Ochre Coloured Pottery, Painted and plain grey ware pot shreds, associated Black and Red ware shreds of Painted Grey Ware culture of early Iron Age, Kushana period from excavation near Hada Mahal and Red ware pottery of different shapes from excavation at Bir Chhabili Tila.

Jain sculptures .....

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