Excursions

Sikandra
Six miles north of Agra, is a glorious introduction to the city of Mughal wonders, Sikandra. The site of Akbar's mausoleum, Sikandra was begun by Akbar and completed by his son Jehangir in 1613 AD. It reflects the fusion of Hindu and Muslim art and architecture which characterised the era. The tomb is situated in the centre of a large garden and four identical red sandstone gates lead to the tomb complex. The building, with three-storey minarets at each corner, is built of red sandstone with white marble polygonal patterns inlaid. Sikandra is named after Sikandra Lodi, the Delhi ruler who was in power from 1488 to 1517.

Fatehpur Sikari
This magnificent fortifield ghost city was the capital of the Mughal emperor Akbar between 1571 and 1585. The downfall of this once magnificent capital of the Mughals started with the rise of the Jats when Emperor Aurangazeb left this place never to return again. The credit for preserving the ancient monuments situated here goes to Lord Curzon. Since then , these protected monuments and the environs of the city have been well maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. The city is rectangular in shape with nine huge gates - Delhi Darwaza, Lal Darwaza, Agra Gate, Suraj and Chandra Darwaza, Tehra Gate and Ajmeri Darwaza.

Palace of Jodh Bai
North-east of the mosque is the ticket office and entrance to the old city. The first building inside the gate is a palace, commonly but wrongly ascribed to Jodh Bai, Jehangir's Hindu mother and daughter of the maharaja of Amber. The architecture is a blend of style with Hindu columns and Muslim cupols. The Hawa Mahal (Palace of winds) is a projecting room whose walls are made entirely of stone lattice work.

Panch Mahal
Panch Mahal, a five storey structure is an architectural marvel. It was Akbar's personal citadel for pleasure and relaxation. Each storey is pillared and is smaller than the other. The buildings resembles a Buddhist temple. It tapers from the ground floor with 84 columns to its domed top supported by only four columns.

The Buland Darwaja
The Buland Darwaja or the gate of victory, was built by Akbar in 1601 in commemoration of his victory over Khandesh and Ahmednagar in Southern India. Marble and sanstone have been freely used in the construction of this structure. Various other buildings situated here are all worth a visit not only for their historical importance, but also for the fine architectural work of the Mughal period.

The House of Birbal
It is double-storeyed building and is believed to be constructed by Birbal, a famous wit and a close associate of Akbar.

The Jamatkhana
This is a red stone structure which houses the tomb of Sheikh Islam Khan, The grandson of Sheikh Salim Chisti. Many other tomb of the descendants of the Sufi saint lie scattered around the place.

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